JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he has told the United States that he opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state once the conflict in Gaza comes to an end.
Addressing a news conference here Thursday, a defiant Netanyahu vowed to press on with the offensive in Gaza “until complete victory”: the destruction of Hamas and return of the remaining Israeli hostages, adding that it could take “many more months”.
With almost 25,000 Palestinians already killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, and 85% of the strip’s population internally displaced, Israel is under intense pressure to rein in its offensive and engage in meaningful talks over a sustainable end to the conflict.
Israel’s allies, including the US – and many of its foes – have advocated for the revival of the long-dormant “two-state solution”, in which a future Palestinian state would sit side-by-side with an Israeli one.
Many circles hope that the current crisis could force the warring parties back to diplomacy, as the only viable alternative to endless cycles of violence. But from Israeli prime minister’s comments, his intention appears quite the opposite.
During the news conference, Netanyahu said Israel must have security control over all land west of the River Jordan, which would include the territory of any future Palestinian state.
“This is a necessary condition, and it conflicts with the idea of (Palestinian) sovereignty. What to do? I tell this truth to our American friends, and I also stopped the attempt to impose a reality on us that would harm Israel’s security,” he said.
Mr Netanyahu has spent much of his political career opposing Palestinian statehood, so his latest remarks come as no surprise.
But the very public rebuttal of Washington’s diplomatic push, and determination to stay the current military course, show the gulf widening with Israel’s western allies.
Since the 7 October attacks, the US has supported Israel’s right to defend itself. But as the death toll in Gaza has grown, and the scenes of horror there have abounded, Western governments have called for a restraint.
