Benjamin Netanyahu on Palestine

Benjamin Netanyahu's core position on Palestine is a categorical rejection of an independent Palestinian state, maintaining that any future governance in Gaza must be demilitarized and de-radicalized. He argued that granting the Palestinians sovereign power of security would threaten Israel’s very existence, leading to takeovers by jihadists and Iran, citing the precedent of previous territorial withdrawals. The Israeli leader has stated that a Palestinian state will never be formed while he is in office and has taken steps to solidify this stance, such as signing an agreement to move forward with an expanded settlement plan in the occupied West Bank that bisects the territory.

This position represents a firm stance against the long-standing two-state solution, which he had previously suggested was only viable if Palestinians relinquished security control to Israel. He contends that true peace requires the destruction of fanaticism and that the hope for the destruction of the Jewish state must be eliminated among the populace. In a September 2025 address, he emphasized that Israel seeks peace but must defend itself against enemies bent on its annihilation, asserting that Hamas must be completely removed from power in Gaza following military operations.