Israel Envoy says “absolutely no” two-state solution, emphasise Gazans needs to be re-educated like Germany, Japan post-WW2
SINAR DAILY REPORTER
SHAH ALAM - Israel’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Tzipi Hotovely, explicitly rejects the idea of a Palestinian state, doubling down on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s objective to fully remove any Palestinian authorities from Gaza post-attacks.
Netanyahu, in recent weeks, has been butting heads with the Biden administration by ruling out the idea that their Palestinian counterparts would be returning to govern Gaza once their bombardment ends.
Hotovely went all out against journalist Mark Austin in a recent Sky News interview, where he repeatedly asked whether a peace scenario with Israel could include a Palestinian state.
“The answer is absolutely no.
“I think it’s about time for the world to realise that the Oslo paradigm failed on the 7th of Oct, and we need to build a new one.
“The reason the Oslo Accords failed is because the Palestinians never wanted to have a state next to Israel. They want to have a state from the river to the sea,” says Hotovely, who was a longtime member of Netanyahu’s Likud party before he tapped her as ambassador.
When the interviewer pushes Hotovely again on why she won’t support a two-state solution, the ambassador shoots back, “Why are you obsessed with a formula that never worked, that created these radical people on the other side?”
The Israeli envoy goes on to argue that Gazans need to be “re-educated,” likening what she thinks needs to happen in the Strip to Germany and Japan after World War II.
“Those two societies turned out to be good Western countries.
“At the moment, under the UN name, the UNRWA schools are becoming terror schools. If you have UN involvement, forget about refugee camps. Why should they be refugees after 70 years of having an independent life? They could’ve built their own life, but they didn’t,” she said.
The interviewer went on to ask her whether she’s trying to replicate what China has done with the Uyghurs, whom it has put into what it calls “re-education camps.”
“Absolutely not!” replies Hotovely. “This is what you did in Nazi Germany.”
“Obviously, we’re not interested in governing the Palestinians, but we are interested in making sure that Gaza won’t become another terror hub.
“We will demilitarise Gaza... and we believe that together with our allies and with the moderate Arab countries, we can build a better future,” she claims.
Just a day prior, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that it would condition its financial and political support for the reconstruction of Gaza after Israel’s bombardment on the advancement of a US-backed initiative towards a two-state solution.
“The message is going to be very clear: We need to see a viable two-state solution plan, a road map that is serious, before we talk about the next day and rebuilding the infrastructure of Gaza,” UAE Ambassador to the UN Lana Nusseibeh told the Wall Street Journal.
Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron also responded yesterday to Hotovely’s rejection of the two-state solution, stating it was "disappointing."
Questioned for the first time as foreign secretary in front of a Lords committee, Cameron was asked whether he thinks she was speaking under instruction from her government.
Cameron said in response, "I don’t know the answer. I read the transcript, and it is disappointing, but ultimately, true security and stability for Israel, which is something I care deeply about. I believe in Israel as a homeland for Jewish people; I believe in its right to exist, to thrive, to defend itself, and all the rest of it. Long-term security, I think, requires there to be a state for Palestine as well,” he said.
The former UK premier also defended the country’s decision not to vote in favour of a United Nations resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
He argued that an immediate cease-fire, as proposed by the UN resolution, might not be conducive to a lasting peace if it allows Hamas to launch further attacks similar to the Oct. 7 incident.
According to Cameron, the resolution called for both an immediate cease-fire and a two-state solution, which he deemed incompatible.
