PM warns Palestinian state would endanger Israel as Arab powers demand concessions while enabling terror networks.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered one of his clearest and most forceful statements to date on Thursday, declaring that Israel will never accept the creation of a Palestinian state, even if it means forgoing normalization with Saudi Arabia.
“There will not be a Palestinian state. It will not be established,” Netanyahu said in an interview with the Abu Ali Express Telegram channel. When pressed on whether this stance stands firm even if Riyadh insists on Palestinian statehood as the price for normalization, he answered without hesitation:
“A Palestinian state will not be established. It is an existential threat to Israel.”
Netanyahu stressed that the war in Gaza slowed progress toward normalization with Saudi Arabia, but now that the conflict is winding down, conditions may once again ripen—if they do not compromise Israel’s security.
“Terms must be good for both sides,” he said, “and I know how to stand firm on the conditions that protect our national survival.”
Gaza, Hostages & The Rafah Crossing
The Prime Minister reaffirmed Israel’s position regarding the Rafah border crossing, stating it will reopen only after the remains of the last three deceased hostages—Dror Or, Ran Gvili, and Sudthisak Rinthalak—are returned by Hamas.
“We are very close to completing this process,” Netanyahu said. “Once all our hostages come home, the crossing will open.”
Netanyahu welcomed the idea of Egypt allowing Gazans to leave freely, a right consistently denied by Arab regimes that publicly champion “Palestinian rights” while quietly trapping Gazans inside the Strip for political leverage.
“Any Gazan who wants to leave should be able to,” Netanyahu said. “If Egypt accepts this, it’s very positive.”
Turkey: Potential Partner, Possible Threat
Turning to Turkey, Netanyahu said Israel seeks a workable arrangement with Ankara but cannot ignore the dangers posed by President Erdoğan’s escalating rhetoric, support for Hamas, and accusations of “genocide” during the Gaza conflict.
“We prefer a modus vivendi,” Netanyahu said, “but we won’t ignore the threat.”
He revealed that Israel has quietly acted to block Turkey’s military ambitions in Syria:
“We prevented their entry into southern Syria. We also stopped them from entering the T-4 base—yes, we struck that airfield.”
Despite tensions, Netanyahu confirmed that Israel maintains quiet diplomatic channels with Turkey to avoid escalation, but underlined a non-negotiable principle:
“We do not intend to relinquish our military superiority. We will not let any country in the region threaten us.”
