Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu made unmistakably clear in a new interview that Israel will not consent to the creation of a Palestinian state under any circumstances. Speaking to the Abu Ali Express Telegram channel, he stated flatly, “There will not be a Palestinian state. It’s very simple: it will not be established.” He stressed that the position is not negotiable and is not tied to any diplomatic incentives.
Pressed on whether this stance applies even if it costs Israel a long-sought normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, Netanyahu did not hesitate. “The answer is: a Palestinian state will not be established. It is an existential threat to Israel,” he said, underscoring that no geopolitical benefit would justify what he views as a mortal danger to the country’s future.
Netanyahu acknowledged that the ongoing war in Gaza had frozen movement toward a Saudi-Israeli agreement, but he insisted that momentum could still return as fighting tapers off. “But the conditions must be acceptable to both sides – terms that are good for both sides,” he said. He explained that he has no intention of yielding on Israel’s “essential conditions” and that any future progress must safeguard national security. “And if this process ripens later on, excellent. And if not, we will safeguard our vital interests.”
The Prime Minister also discussed the Rafah crossing, linking its reopening directly to Hamas returning the remains of three Israelis who were killed and abducted: Dror Or, Ran Gvili, and Sudthisak Rinthalak. “We agreed that we will open the crossing after we receive all our hostages. We are very close to completing this process – it’s set to happen – and once that is completed, we will open the crossing,” he said.
Netanyahu went on to say he would support Egypt allowing Gazans who wish to emigrate to do so. “Any Gazan who wants to leave should be able to, and that right has been denied to them. Washington’s 20-point plan for Gaza included that right… If Egypt accepts that – I think that’s very positive.”
Turning to Ankara, Netanyahu described Israel’s relationship with Turkey as complicated but manageable. While hoping for stability between the countries, he did not minimize the concerns posed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s alignment with Hamas and his accusations of Israeli genocide. “I hope that threat doesn’t materialize, but we can’t rule it out,” he said.
Netanyahu explained that Israel has already acted to halt Turkish expansion into areas of Syria. “We prefer a modus vivendi with Turkey,” he said. “They’re very stubborn and speak in an extreme way, and we push back on it. But in practice, we prevented their entry into southern Syria… We also didn’t want them entering central Syria at the T-4 base – and we even struck that airfield.”
Despite the charged rhetoric, the Prime Minister said Israel continues maintaining quiet channels with Turkey in an effort to prevent unnecessary escalation. Yet he stressed that Israeli defense planning is already calibrated to Turkey’s military potential. “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.”
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