In a rare daily interview with Arabs, Defense Minister Benny Gantz shouted away from supporting the Palestinian state, saying the Palestinians deserved an “entity” and that Jerusalem must “remain united.”
But the medieval politician, the leader of the Blue and White party, said that while the Israeli capital remained undivided, there was “room” for Palestinians to establish their capital in the holy city. .
“Palestinians want and deserve an entity in which they can live independently,” Gantz, former IDF chief of staff, told Saudi daily al-Sharq al-Awsat, one of the most famous spreadsheets in the Arab world.
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Palestinians have long wanted an independent state and have harshly criticized Israeli and American plans that they say offer them autonomy without statehood. Palestinian Authority officials have publicly stated their support for a two-state solution: an independent state of Palestine in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip – 1967 stop lines – with its capital in Jerusalem East.
Protective face mask on the ground during the prayers of Eid al-Adha, next to the Dome of the Rock at the Temple Mount Manor in the Old City of Jerusalem, July 31, 2020. (AP Photo / Mahmoud Illean, File)
When his interviewer further stressed to Gantz whether the Palestinian entity he wanted was a state, the defense minister raised the question.
“State or empire, they can call anything they want. They have a right to independence and capital, ”said Gantz.
“We want a Palestinian entity with an appropriate close relationship, which makes it possible to live comfortably in it without obstacles or barriers. Security is what we ask for. We need strategic observation points for security, ”Gantz said.
On the question of relinquishing Israeli control over East Jerusalem, Gantz said: “Jerusalem must remain united – but with a place within it for the Palestinian capital.”
“[Jerusalem] a vast city, full of sacred sites for all, ”said Gantz.
It was unclear whether Gantz was referring to Abu Dis, a small town outside Jerusalem that unleashed a controversial peace plan by U.S. President Donald Trump that was declared the capital of the Palestinian state at the time. future. The plan said Palestinian control over Abu Dis – as well as areas of Jerusalem outside the security barrier, such as Kafr Aqab and the Shuafat Refugee Camp – met Palestinian demands for a capital in Jerusalem.
A view of the Old City of Jerusalem from Abu Dis on February 3, 2020. (Adam Rasgon / Times of Israel)
PA President Mahmoud Abbas responded to Trump’s offer by calling the Palestinian capital “Jerusalem, not Jerusalem.”
Gantz called on Abbas to engage in a “peace process” set by other Arab states that set out to normalize ties with Israel in recent months.
Over the past four months, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco have begun the process of normalizing ties with Israel. The Palestinians have publicly lamented their continued normalization as a betrayal of their cause. Top U.S. officials have said it is “inevitable” that Saudi Arabia will enter, although the kingdom has said a resolution for the Palestinians must come first.
“The path taken by the Arab world is a real opportunity. I sincerely hope to reach an agreement with them, and I firmly believe that there can be no complete, complete peace without them, ”said Gantz.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz on a visit to northern Israel, 27 October 2020. (David Cohen / Flash90)
Trump’s peace plan also provides for Israeli control of as much as 30 percent of the West Bank. Gantz praised the plan in January when he visited the White House as “an important and indeed historic milestone.”
Gantz said in his interview with Al-Sharq Al-Awsat on Wednesday night, however, that he did not “necessarily” support Israeli sovereignty in all areas outlined by Trump’s peace plan.
While some areas – such as the Jordan Valley – would have to remain under Israeli security control, Israel could “significantly reduce that area,” Gantz said.
Right from top right: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, May 24, 2020. (Abir Sultan / Photo Pool via AP); Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, January 23, 2020. (Alexander Nemenov, Amar via AP); President Donald Trump (Photo AP / Susan Walsh); Minister of Defense Benny Gantz, 24 May 2020. (Abir Sultan / Pool / AFP)
But it is very likely that Palestinians would not be taken by land from inside Israel for whatever area in the West Bank eventually remained in Israeli hands, Gantz said. .
“Of course, it’s possible to talk about land exchange, even though I don’t see how or where,” Gantz said.
He also said he hoped more Arab countries would make open ties with Israel, saying he visited many of them in secret positions over his career in the Israeli army.
“I have visited every Arab state – but secretly when military missions were being carried out. I hope to visit them in public in an official, friendly and peaceful manner, ”said Gantz.