Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says a Palestinian state can exist only if Jerusalem wants

In the wake of Belgium’s sudden announcement that it will move to recognise Palestinian statehood in the next UN session, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said today that what Brussels or anyone else says matters little as “the decisions of the government in Jerusalem” will determine the outcome, reports Times of Israel.
Speaking to the Belgian media platform Sudinfo, Sa’ar called the decision of the European state “very strange decision, taken under great pressure.”
“But in any case, I’ll tell you frankly: it’s not happening now!” he added.
“If Hamas continues to rule Gaza, it will never happen. So, the question of whether a Palestinian state will exist or not is not linked to the decision of the government in Brussels, but rather to the decisions of the government in Jerusalem.”
Regarding the future of Gaza, the Israeli FM said his country has “no intention of controlling the Palestinian population in Gaza.”
“They must be given autonomy, but it must be linked to the end of two things: first, the end of terrorism, of course; second, the end of incitement.”
While he did not rule out a Palestinian state in the future, he added “this process can only be realistic when they change their attitude,” reiterating the government’s rhetoric.
Israel had earlier said that its offense in Gaza will stop only once the whole enclave is demilitarised, with Hamas surrendering all its weapons. The PMO had said that IDF troops will maintain a minimal temporary presence until an autonomous government is formed, which will not be determined by either Jerusalem, the Palestine Authority, or any other body.
He noted that US President Donald Trump’s plan to take over and rebuild Gaza “can be a good thing,” but only under two conditions: “The first: that those who want to leave Gaza can do so freely, of their own choice. The second: that there are countries willing to welcome them.” UNI ANV SSP