Gideon Sa’ar to WSJ: ‘Israel fighting multi-front war on front lines, political arena’
He told the American newspaper that he rejoined the Netanyahu government because he believes that differences in Israeli politics will be insignificant in the future.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told the Wall Street Journal in a Tuesday interview that Israel is facing a multi-front war on the battle lines and in the political arena.
“Today, the challenges are not only military. They are also political, and those who worked to impose a military siege on Israel are now working to impose a political siege,” he told the WSJ.
He told the American newspaper that he rejoined the Netanyahu government because he believes that differences in Israeli politics will be insignificant in the future.
“The differences between Israel’s Zionist parties today will be viewed historically as insignificant and marginal in comparison to the challenges we are facing,” Sa’ar said, adding that he came to this realization after October 7.
He is now aiming to try and “change things from the inside” and rejoined the Likud party this month.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar at a briefing with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. (credit: Ohad Kav)
“I’m still in the government, even when I sometimes have disputes,” he said.
He went on to discuss how several European nations’ pending recognition of a Palestinian state affected negotiations and the IDF’s Gaza City Operation.
“When Hamas praises you, as it did with [Emmanuel] Macron, it speaks for itself,” he said, adding that he didn’t understand why the need to recognize a Palestinian state suddenly arose.
“In the beginning, it was supposed to be under certain conditions,” such as recognizing Israel and making peace. Now, Sa’ar says he thinks that “all conditions were forgotten.”
He sees this as a victory for Hamas.
“Hamas said recognition is the fruit of October 7,” Saar noted.
Europe “cannot understand that the Palestinians—all the factions—their ideology is to eliminate the Jewish state,” Saar said.
Talking about ‘two-state solution’
“It’s a nice term, ‘two-state solution.’ First of all, you have a solution. But when you ask, ‘Do you want a terror state?’ it becomes a different conversation.”
He added that the growing Muslim communities in Europe affected the calls to recognize a Palestinian state.
“Europe today has huge Muslim communities. There are already cells of radical Islam there. It has an effect.”
The minister goes on to discuss the Gaza Strip, saying that “the real aid situation has improved dramatically.” Describing the aid being given to Gazans as not “humanitarian,” but “political.”
The minister also says that Israel’s global reputation in regards to its strength was restored since October 7, saying that “we changed the entire strategic equation in the Middle East.”
Also regarding Israel’s global image, Sa’ar said that the country will not “risk real interests for a temporary period of quiet and better PR.
“We need to survive first. After that, there comes popularity and how much we can convince others around the world.”
