Netanyahu: Gaza War Proves Israel Can’t Allow Palestinian Statehood

Insists West Bank Would Be '20 Gazas'

While most of his comments today focused on talking up the ongoing war in Gaza and the escalations to come, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also spent some time condemning the peace process in general.

Netanyahu insisted the latest Gaza conflict proved that Israel could never allow an independent Palestine in the occupied West Bank, insisting it would simply become “another 20 Gazas.”

“I think the Israeli people understand now what I always say: that there cannot be a situation, under any agreement, in which we relinquish security control of the territory west of the River Jordan,” Netanyahu declared.

He then singled out Secretary of State John Kerry for criticism for pushing for the two state solution, saying “we live here, I live here, I know what we need to ensure the security of Israel’s people.”

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.