by Nava Frieberg and Lazar Berman at The Times of Israel
In interview with Telegram channel, PM says border deal with Syria ‘preferable’ but won’t budge on security demands; Israel to boost arms industry to ease reliance on US
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted that there will not be a Palestinian state, even at the cost of normalization with Saudi Arabia, during an interview aired on Thursday evening.
“There will not be a Palestinian state. It’s very simple: it will not be established,” the premier said in the wide-ranging interview with Abu Ali Express, a popular local Telegram channel.
Asked by the interviewer if his opposition holds even if it jeopardizes normalization with Riyadh — which insists on a credible pathway to Palestinian statehood in exchange for such ties – Netanyahu said: “The answer is: a Palestinian state will not be established. It is an existential threat to Israel.”
Asked about what has prevented normalization with the Saudis, Netanyahu said the war in Gaza strained progress, but that “the conditions could develop” now that the war is winding down.
“But the conditions must be acceptable to both sides…
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