Sen. John Kennedy (R., La.) said on Wednesday that he trusted Middle Eastern countries as much as "gas station sushi," with the exception being Israel.

"There are no democracies in the Middle East, with the exception of Israel," Kennedy said. "With the exception of Israel, I trust every Middle Eastern country about as much as I trust gas station sushi."

Kennedy's remark game during an interview with CNN host Alisyn Camerota, where she asked the senator if he believed Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey.

"Do you have any doubt this morning that Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside the Saudi consulate on October 2nd?" Camerota asked.

"No. I mean, he didn't — he didn't — something happened to him, and I don't think he fell through a hole in the fabric of the universe," Kennedy responded. "I think he was murdered. I think the Saudis are certainly acting like they did it. I don't know whether King Salman or Prince Mohammed knew about it. Not sure it matters."

Earlier this month, Khashoggi, a Saudi dissident, disappeared after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Turkish officials accuse the Saudis of murdering Khashoggi. They also claim an audio recording captured moments of his "interrogation, torture, and killing," a Turkish newspaper reported. Saudi Arabia initially denied the allegations but may claim it was an interrogation gone wrong.

"Why wouldn't it matter?" Camerota asked Kennedy. "As you know, they may be preparing this cover story that this was an interrogation gone wrong. Would that matter?"

"I don't think so. Number one, it's going to be hard for them to prove that they didn't know about it. Number two, the king and the prince are captains of the ship. They're ultimately responsible," Kennedy said.

He added that the U.S. should condemn Saudi Arabia but not cut them off completely.

"I think we have to condemn what the Saudis did here in the strongest possible terms for two reasons," Kennedy said. "Number one, it is right. Number two, to maintain our credibility. But I don't think we have to or should blow up the Middle East doing it. Some of my colleagues think we need to cut the Saudi Arabians off like a dead stump, and I don't think we have to do that. I think we can condemn them, but continue to talk with them at the same time."

A bipartisan group of lawmakers have called for sanctions against Saudis responsible for Khashoggi's disappearance.