BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – In the dispute over a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict, Israel’s Foreign Minister has once again emphasized that his country wants to retain security responsibility in the Gaza Strip for a few more years. This will apply “until we are sure that we will no longer be killed by the residents of Gaza,” said Israel Katz to the “Bild” newspaper, Welt TV and Politico. Referring to the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas on Israel on October 7th with around 1,200 deaths, Katz said: “The new ‘Nazis’ are Hamas, which must be eliminated.” Israel’s message for Holocaust Remembrance Day this week said: “It must be clear that what happened must not be allowed to happen again.”
Regarding advice from Washington and Berlin, among others, on a two-state solution in the Middle East conflict with the Palestinians, Katz said: “It is absolutely absurd that after everything that has happened, today Israel is being told that a two-state solution is the right thing.” In view of the fact that Palestinians have killed Jews, Palestinians will not be given the task of being responsible for the safety of Jews in the future.
At the same time, he clearly rejected calls from within his own government for Israeli repopulation of the Gaza Strip after the end of the war: “That will not happen. The government’s policy is clear, even if individual ministers say otherwise.” Israel will not govern Gaza or decide on Gaza.
Katz went on to say about the future of Gaza that a model must be created together with the Arab states and other countries that would enable the more than two million Palestinians there to live their lives in a different way than before.
The militant Islamist Hamas also rejects a two-state solution, according to which an independent, democratic and demilitarized Palestinian state should exist peacefully alongside Israel. Hamas instead seeks to destroy the state of Israel.
In addition to Germany and the EU, Great Britain and the USA are also pushing for the creation of an independent Palestinian state./toz/DP/zb