In final hours ahead of UNGA's expected approval of PA's bid for non-member status, PM says unilateral move will only distance Palestinians from statehood, adds: World can't sever tie between Jewish people, land of Israel.
With Israel facing a stinging diplomatic defeat Thursday at the UN, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said that regardless of how many vote against Israel, "no force in the world will get me to compromise on Israel's security."
He also said no force in the world can sever the thousands-year-old tie between the Jewish people and the land of Israel.
Relating to the expected overwhelming support of the world to upgrade the Palestinian status at the UN to that of a non-member state, Netanyahu said that the decision will "Not change anything on the ground. It will not further the establishment of a Palestinian state, but will make it more distant."
Netanyahu's comments came while touring an exhibit of recently declassified documents marking the upcoming 35th anniversary of Anwar Sadat's visit to Jerusalem at the Begin Heritage Center in Jerusalem.
"Israel's hand is always extended in peace, but a Palestinian state will not be established without recognition of the state of Israel as the state of the Jewish people, without an end-of-conflict declaration, and without true security arrangements that will protect Israel and its citizens."
Netanyahu, who said that none of the conditions he reiterated are even mentioned in the Palestinian's UN resolution, said that peace is only achieved through negotiations, and not by unilateral declarations "which do not take into consideration Israel security needs."
Netanyahu recommended not being impressed by the applause that will likely be heard later at the UN.
"I remember the international community's applause that the government of Israel received when it decided to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza," he said. "We got applause and then rocket fire. We left Gaza, and Iran entered, exactly like what happened in Lebanon."
Netanyahu said he would not enable another Iranian base to be established, this time in Judea and Samaria, a kilometer away from Jerusalem.
"It does not matter how many will vote against us, there is no force in the world that will cause me to compromise on Israeli security and there is no force in the world able to sever the thousands year connection between the people of Israel and the Land of Israel," he said.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that he was unafraid of Israeli reactions to his unilateral statehood bid at the United Nations, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported.
"If the Israeli authorities want to threaten my life, they can," Abbas told reporters. "The whole world realizes that the Palestinian Authority, with all its political and security services, and administrative bodies, has been ready to upgrade its status for six years."
Jerusalem Post
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