Israeli Minister Apologizes for 'Camel' Slur, Not for Actual Policy

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, architect of aggressive settlement expansion and known for stating there's "no such thing as a Palestinian people," reportedly issued a "grovelling apology" for suggesting Saudis should 'keep riding camels' if normalization required a Palestinian state. The New Arab meticulously covers this remarkable act of contrition, focusing on the slur and the

potential diplomatic fallout. (One might wonder if the Saudis are more offended by ethnic cleansing than a camel joke.) Yet, the actual substance of Smotrich's political platform—which advocates for annexing vast swathes of the West Bank and encouraging Palestinian emigration—draws far less outrage from either the international community or the outlets reporting his 'apology.' Recall this is the

same Smotrich who, in March 2023, declared 'there is no such thing as a Palestinian nation' at a Paris event featuring a 'Greater Israel' map that included parts of Jordan. The media frames this as a diplomatic faux pas, not a direct statement of genocidal intent. How many 'apologies' for rhetorical missteps equate to ignoring persistent calls for displacement and land theft?

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