PGCC condemns Israeli minister’s controversial remarks about Palestinians

The Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) has condemned the recent controversial comments by a far-right Israeli minister about Palestinians, calling on the United States to respond to statements that target the Palestinian people.

The six-member PGCC’s foreign ministers sent a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday, after Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich denied the existence of the Palestinian people last week.

The PGCC urged Washington “to assume its responsibilities in responding to all measures and statements that target the Palestinian people.”

It also called on the US “to play its role in reaching a just, comprehensive and lasting solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The PGCC’s foreign ministers further stressed that the letter expresses the position of the leaders of the member countries of the Council with regard to the Palestinian cause, which is the Muslim world’s main issue.  

The PGCC is a union of six countries in the Persian Gulf region including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain.

Speaking in Paris last Sunday, Smotrich claimed that there was "no such thing as a Palestinian people," or Palestinian history or culture.

He said Palestinians are “an invention of the past century,” adding that “There are no Palestinians because there are no Palestinian people.” 

Smotrich’s remarks sparked outrage among Muslim nations, with Palestinian officials denouncing his comments as evidence of the Israeli cabinet’s “racist ideology.”

On Tuesday, the US also joined the condemnation of the Zionist minister for denying the existence of Palestinians, calling his remarks "dangerous."

"We found those comments to not only be inaccurate but also deeply concerning and dangerous," State Department Spokesman Vedant Patel said.

ME