Bennett: I don’t see any logic in meeting with Mahmoud Abbas

14 September 2021, 8:11 pm Edit

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett holds a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, on August 18, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett says that he sees no logic or reason for him to meet with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas.

“I don’t see any logic in meeting someone who is suing IDF soldiers at The Hague and accusing them of war crimes, and at the same time paying salaries to terrorists,” Bennett tells the Kan public broadcaster. “I don’t see the logic in meeting him.”

Bennett says that he maintains his long-standing position that there should not be a Palestinian state.

“I oppose a Palestinian state — I think it would be a terrible mistake,” he says. “I won’t do that.”

At the same time, Bennett says, he agrees with the approach of Defense Minister Benny Gantz in maintaining ties and connections with Palestinian officials in order to maintain calm and security coordination.

But, he adds, there is no current possibility of restarting peace talks with the Palestinians.

“We all understand that at the moment it’s not relevant,” he says.

Bennett granted interviews to all three major TV networks as well as multiple newspapers and news sites ahead of Yom Kippur.