Former minister Gideon Sa’ar rejects ‘two-state solution trap’
NEW YORK – Former education and interior minister Gideon Sa’ar declared on Sunday that the “two-state solution is no longer relevant” to peace in the Middle East.
Speaking at the Jerusalem Post Annual Conference in Midtown Manhattan, Sa’ar said that it is “nothing short of insanity” to establish a proposed sovereign Palestinian nation next to the State of Israel, describing such prospects as a “failed state in the making.”
Instead, Sa’ar insisted that all of Israel must remain in Jewish hands from the “river to the sea.”
“We don’t want to control the Palestinians... and the truth is, we don’t anymore,” he said.
“Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank are responsible over the welfare of their people, but cannot be allowed to build a sovereign nation” while Israel’s security concerns remain unaddressed, Sa’ar said.
The longtime Likud politician noted that the “key to Israel’s future” is retaining a Jewish majority in sovereign Israel, and a Palestinian state would only create avenues for Arabs to alter the country’s demographics.
“It may be a good idea in a different part of the world... but not in our neighborhood,” he quipped to the crowd.
“The alternative should not be a binational state,” Sa’ar said, telling the crowd gathered at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square that a new “regional” paradigm needs to be formulated in order to arrive at a viable solution.
Egypt and Jordan are essential for such an agreement in the future, Sa’ar said, adding that Israel must take its destiny in its own hands.
Turning to the Iranian nuclear deal, Sa’ar said that “[US President Donald] Trump has shown wisdom and courage” in standing up against the mullah in Tehran, remarking that the president “recognizes the reality on the ground” when he declared Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
Before exiting the stage, the Security Cabinet member praised the American Jewish community for its years-long support of Israel while emphasizing the need to eschew the “two-state solution trap.”