Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Thursday that Israel will not agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state, even if it means forgoing normalization with Saudi Arabia.
“There will not be a Palestinian state. It’s very simple: it will not be established,” Netanyahu said in an interview with the Abu Ali Express Telegram channel.
When asked whether his opposition to Palestinian statehood stands even if it jeopardizes normalization with Riyadh, which has demanded a credible path to Palestinian statehood as a condition, Netanyahu replied, “The answer is: a Palestinian state will not be established. It is an existential threat to Israel.”
The Prime Minister noted that the war in Gaza had delayed progress toward normalization with Saudi Arabia, but added that “the conditions could develop” now that the war is winding down.
“But the conditions must be acceptable to both sides – terms that are good for both sides,” he said. “I know how to stand firm on our essential conditions and not endanger our security. And if this process ripens later on, excellent. And if not, we will safeguard our vital interests.”
Netanyahu also addressed the issue of the Rafah border crossing, stating that Israel will reopen it once the remains of the three remaining deceased hostages – Dror Or, Ran Gvili, and Sudthisak Rinthalak – are returned from Gaza by Hamas.
“We agreed that we will open the crossing after we receive all our hostages. We are very close to completing this process – it’s set to happen – and once that is completed, we will open the crossing,” he said.
Netanyahu added that he would welcome Egypt allowing Gazans who wish to leave to do so: “Any Gazan who wants to leave should be able to, and that right has been denied to them. Washington’s 20-point plan for Gaza included that right… If Egypt accepts that – I think that’s very positive.”
Turning to Turkey, Netanyahu said Israel seeks an arrangement with Ankara but cannot ignore the potential threat.
“I hope that threat doesn’t materialize, but we can’t rule it out,” he said, referencing Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s support for Hamas and accusations of genocide against Israel during the two-year war in Gaza.
“We prefer a modus vivendi with Turkey,” Netanyahu said. “They’re very stubborn and speak in an extreme way, and we push back on it. But in practice, we prevented their entry into southern Syria… We also didn’t want them entering central Syria at the T-4 base – and we even struck that airfield.”
“We do not intend to relinquish our military superiority,” he said. “We’re not seeking enemies, but we won’t let any country in the region threaten us.”
