Netanyahu nixes Palestinian State even at expense of Saudi normalization

The answer is: “A Palestinian state will not be established. It is an existential threat to Israel.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that he will not accept the creation of a Palestinian state under any circumstances — even if the decision blocks a long-sought normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia.

Speaking in an interview with the Abu Ali Express Telegram channel, Netanyahu said the idea of Palestinian statehood remains off the table regardless of diplomatic incentives from Riyadh.

“There will not be a Palestinian state. It’s very simple: it will not be established,” he said. Asked whether this position would hold even if it meant giving up on ties with Saudi Arabia, he repeated, “The answer is: a Palestinian state will not be established. It is an existential threat to Israel.”

Netanyahu acknowledged that the war in Gaza froze the diplomatic track with Saudi Arabia but said an opportunity could still develop as fighting subsides.

Any future agreement, he added, will depend on security terms that Jerusalem views as nonnegotiable. “I know how to stand firm on our essential conditions and not endanger our security,” he said. “And if this process ripens later on, excellent. And if not, we will safeguard our vital interests.”

The prime minister also addressed the Rafah crossing, saying Israel will reopen it only after Hamas returns the bodies of Dror Or, Ran Gvili, and Sudthisak Rinthalak, the final three deceased hostages still held in Gaza.

“We agreed that we will open the crossing after we receive all our hostages,” Netanyahu said. “We are very close to completing this process… and once that is completed, we will open the crossing.”

He added that Israel supports allowing Gazans who wish to depart through Egypt. “Any Gazan who wants to leave should be able to,” he said, noting that Washington’s 20-point plan included this right. “If Egypt accepts that – I think that’s very positive.”

Turning to Turkey, Netanyahu said Israel prefers stable arrangements with Ankara but must prepare for the possibility of confrontation, citing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s support for Hamas and his allegations against Israel during the two-year war.

“I hope that threat doesn’t materialize, but we can’t rule it out,” he said.

Despite tensions, Netanyahu said channels with Ankara remain open, though Israel’s defense plans assume Turkey’s capabilities. “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.”

Benjamin NetanyahuPalestinian Statesaudi normalization