Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rebuffs right-wing criticism, downplaying US draft resolution to the UN Security Council backing “pathway” to Palestinian state, and reports of Gaza reconstruction without demilitarization.
By World Israel News Staff
Israel will not permit the establishment of a Palestinian state anywhere west of the Jordan River, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said over the weekend, rejecting criticism from his own government while downplaying political differences with the Trump administration over the Gaza peace plan.
Over the weekend, ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich pressed Netanyahu to openly denounce the latest US draft of a United Nations Security Council resolution which endorses a “pathway” to Palestinian statehood.
“Otzma Yehudit will not be part of any government that agrees to this. I call on the prime minister to clarify that the State of Israel will not permit the establishment of a Palestinian state in any form,” said Ben-Gvir on Saturday.
Leaders from Israel’s settlement movement and an Opposition lawmaker criticized Netanyahu for not backing legislation to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, blaming him for the draft resolution backing Palestinian statehood.
Speaking at the opening of the weekly government meeting on Sunday, however, Netanyahu rebuffed pressure from the right, reiterating his opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state anywhere in Judea, Samaria, or Gaza.
“Regarding a Palestinian state: Our opposition to a Palestinian state in any territory west of the Jordan, this opposition is existing, valid, and has not changed one bit,” Netanyahu said.
“I have been rebuffing these attempts for decades and I am doing it both against pressures from outside and against pressures from within. So, I do not need affirmations, tweets, or lectures from anyone.”
Netanyahu also downplayed reports that the Trump administration is planning to move forward with stage two of the Gaza peace plan – including the deployment of an international peacekeeping force to replace the IDF and the reconstruction of Gaza – without Hamas disarming first.
“The first issue is the subject of the alleged ‘non-demilitarization’ of the part of Gaza that is in the hands of Hamas. There will be no such thing,” Netanyahu emphasized.”
“Even in the 20-point plan, and in everything else, this territory will be demilitarized, and Hamas will be disarmed. Either this will happen the easy way or it will happen the hard way. This is what I said, and this is what President Trump also said.”
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