Israel says it does not want to be 'the Czechoslovakia of the 21st century'

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Tuesday at a press conference that a Palestinian state created at the present time would be a “Hamas state” and a “jihadist state,” while a conference on the two-state solution is currently being held in New York, according to Haaretz.

He said that no Palestinian state would be established for now, adding: “Israel will not be the Czechoslovakia of the 21st century,” referring to the dissolution of that country in 1993, which led to the creation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The minister also said that “international pressure is directly sabotaging the chances of reaching a cease-fire and a hostage agreement” between Israel and Hamas. Pressures that, according to him, have only “hardened Hamas’s positions” during recent negotiations.

Also, according to Saar, 5,000 humanitarian aid trucks have entered the Gaza Strip in the past two months. He noted that Jordan and the United Arab Emirates were participating in the humanitarian aid airdrop operations that Israel has initiated.

Asked about a possible annexation by Israel of parts of the Gaza Strip, the minister declined to comment, calling these discussions “internal.”

Saar said that Israel will cooperate with any party wishing to participate in humanitarian aid airdrop operations in Gaza, according to a statement.