Netanyahu rejects Palestinian state even in return for normalisation with Saudi Arabia

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Thursday that creating a Palestinian state “is not an option, even as part of efforts to achieve normalisation with Saudi Arabia”.

He made the remarks in an interview with the Hebrew-language Abu Ali Express channel on Telegram, at a time when international support for a two-state solution is growing. The Israeli government continues to reject this approach and undermines it on the ground through settlement expansion and the displacement of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu stated: “A Palestinian state is not on the table for me, even in the context of efforts towards normalisation with Saudi Arabia.”

He added that “what is said publicly does not always reflect what happens in closed talks”, suggesting that political contacts with Saudi Arabia are ongoing despite public positions.

During a joint press conference with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday evening, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said: “We would like to join the Abraham Accords (to normalise relations with Israel) within a process that ensures a two-state solution and peace between Palestine and Israel.”

Trump is keen to secure normalisation between Saudi Arabia and Israel, the occupying power in Palestine, but Riyadh has consistently linked any move to a clear path towards establishing a Palestinian state.

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