Middle East Monitor / February 21, 2022
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz said yesterday that Palestinians could have a future “entity” but not a full-fledged state, local media reported.
“Eventually we will find ourselves in a two-entity solution, in which we respect Palestinian sovereignty and governance, but we will be respected for our security needs,” he told the Munich Security Conference.
“Did you say a two-state solution is possible?” the moderator asked Gantz, who said he intentionally used the word “entity”.
To speak of a “two-state solution takes us to a former framework. It’s a phrase that gives the illusion of [a return to] 1967 with the border lines, etc.; things that cannot happen.”
“This is why I said two-entity solution. We would verify with one another how we can ensure Palestinian rights on one hand while safeguarding Israel’s security needs on the other,” Gantz said.
“A state or an empire, they can call it whatever they want. It is their right to feel independence and have a capital,” Gantz said.
“We want a Palestinian entity which has appropriate territorial contiguity, which makes it possible to live comfortably within it without obstacles or hindrances. What we insist on is security. We need strategic observation points for security,” Gantz added.
He added: “We cannot ignore the existence of the Palestinians and the Palestinians cannot ignore the existence of us Israelis in the area and we must find ways of living with one another… Both sides should take historic decisions.”
“I hope that one day we can create a new reality… to take the realities on the ground [into account].”
Regarding Jerusalem, Gantz said: “Jerusalem must remain united — but with a place within it for a Palestinian capital.”
