FM says Israel ‘will not allow’ two-state solution, rejecting allies’ recognition plans

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar vows that Israel “will not allow” the implementation of the two-state solution, and urges countries that wish to see a Palestinian state established to “do so within their own territory.”

“A Palestinian state in the heart of the land of Israel would indeed be a solution — a solution for those seeking to destroy us. We will not allow that to happen,” Sa’ar says in a Jerusalem briefing to journalists from the Newsmax network as well as other US outlets, according to a statement from his office.

“If large countries like France and Canada wish to establish a Palestinian state within their own territory, they can — they have plenty of space. But here, in the land of Israel, it will not happen,” the minister says.

His remarks reference several Western allies, including Paris and Ottawa, that have recently confirmed or floated plans to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state next month, in part as a means of pressuring Israel to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas, improve humanitarian conditions in Gaza, and work toward a long-term peace framework.

“The establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 lines, with its capital in East Jerusalem — a short distance from here — would place Israel’s population centers in grave danger and push Israel back to indefensible borders,” Sa’ar says in the meeting, claiming that “such a move would be suicidal.”

In July, the Knesset passed a non-binding motion in favor of annexing the West Bank.