In a firm message to Berlin, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar rejects Palestinian statehood, warns against international “gifts” to Hamas, and vows Israel will never compromise on security.
Jerusalem, Thursday — In a high-stakes diplomatic exchange, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar met with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, delivering an unyielding message: Israel will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state at the expense of its security.
The meeting, which began with a private discussion and expanded to include both delegations, tackled Israeli-German relations, the Gaza conflict, and a surge in global calls to recognize Palestinian statehood.
Sa’ar detailed Israel’s humanitarian efforts amid the war but accused Hamas of deliberately obstructing hostage-release negotiations. “Hamas has no interest in a deal,” he said, “because it gains international support every time the world attacks Israel. Instead of laying down arms, it digs in — seeing rewards and gifts handed to it by the global community.”
Turning to the contentious statehood debate, Sa’ar rejected the international narrative:
“We don’t call it the West Bank — we call it Judea and Samaria. In Europe today, they believe Jews can live in Berlin, London, or Brussels, but not a kilometer from here. We believe Jews have the right to live in the heart of their historical homeland.”
The minister stressed that no Palestinian state has ever existed historically and accused the Palestinian Authority (PA) of inciting terrorism. “The PA pays terrorists and poisons the next generation through its schools, mosques, and media,” Sa’ar warned.
He also sounded the alarm on illegal Palestinian construction in Area C, calling the international community’s silence “pure hypocrisy.” If the PA were to gain control over borders and airspace, Sa’ar cautioned, Iranian weapons would flow freely into Israel — a risk he said Israel would never accept.
“A Palestinian state will not be established,” Sa’ar concluded, “because Israel cannot and will not forfeit its own security.”
