Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu says he has told the United States he opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state once the conflict in Gaza comes to an end. In a news conference, Mr. Netanyahu said Israel must have security control of all territory west of the River Jordan, which would include the territory of any future Palestinian state. There's been a critical response from Washington. The US State Department spokesman said "There was no way to ensure Israel's long-term security without a two-state solution." Many nations, including the US, have long called for a two-state solution in which a future Palestinian state would sit side by side with an Israeli one. Mr. Netanyahu, however, has spent much of his political career opposing Palestinian statehood. Let's have a listen to what he told Thursday's news conference.
Benjamin Netanyahu (00:52): [foreign language 00:00:55].
Speaker 3 (00:55): In any arrangement in the foreseeable future with a settlement or without a settlement, Israel needs security control over all territory west of the Jordan River. This is a necessary condition and it clashes with the idea of Palestinian sovereignty. What can you do? I tell this truth to our American friends, and I also stopped the attempt to impose a reality on us that would harm Israel's security. The Prime Minister needs to be capable of saying no to our friends, saying no when necessary, and saying yes when possible.
Speaker 1 (01:28): Benjamin Netanyahu there. Benjamin Radd is a senior fellow at the University of California Burkle Center for International Relations, and a lecturer in Middle East studies. He says he's not surprised by Mr. Netanyahu's comments.
Benjamin Radd (01:42): It doesn't facilitate the pathway towards a solution that I think will bring a diplomatic end to the crisis. But given Netanyahu's stance historically, as your reporter indicated, it's consistent with his position for a long while.
Lukwesa Burak (01:56): But it's not going to move things forward, is it? Is he being realistic?
Benjamin Radd (02:04): Oh, no, he's not being realistic. If the goal is to get the hostages released and to create a secure and stable environment to prevent incidents like October 7th from happening, by all accounts, it's difficult to do without creating a viable pathway towards a Palestinian state. We're seeing divisions in Netanyahu's own cabinet over that very same issue, and I think very much he and his right wing members of his coalition stand alone on this.
Lukwesa Burak (02:28): And what do you make of him publicly coming out to rebuke the United States on this?
Benjamin Radd (02:35): Well, this is very much for internal domestic consumption. Again, he has extremist members of his cabinet, and he's holding onto a very thin coalition in his ruling government. So if he doesn't come out and proclaim and stake these positions that he needs to maintain, he risks losing the support of those members of Parliament who are in effect keeping him in power.
Speaker 1 (02:54): My colleague, Lukwesa Burak, speaking to Benjamin Radd.