Sa’ar to German Counterpart: ‘It’s Judea and Samaria, Not the West Bank’

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar welcomed German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul to Yerushalayim on Thursday, where the two held both a one-on-one conversation and a larger session including their respective delegations at the Foreign Ministry headquarters.

The agenda covered a range of issues, including the bilateral relationship between Germany and Israel, ongoing developments in Gaza, and growing international advocacy for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Minister Sa’ar also used the opportunity to outline Israel’s current humanitarian initiatives in Gaza, sparking an in-depth exchange on the topic.

Sa’ar provided insight into the stalled hostage negotiations, stating that Hamas is deliberately avoiding a resolution. He attributed their intransigence to the diplomatic and political backing they continue to receive globally. “Hamas is holding the hostages and is not laying down its arms; it is entrenching itself in its refusal to accept the framework for the release of the hostages because it sees that the international community is giving it rewards and gifts,” he said.

Turning to the recent momentum in Europe for recognizing a Palestinian state, Sa’ar was direct in his criticism. “We do not call these areas the ‘West Bank.’ We call them ‘Judea and Samaria.’ In Europe today, they think that Jews can live in Berlin, London, and Brussels, but that Jews cannot live a kilometer and a half from here,” he said. “We believe that Jews have the right to live in the heart of their historical homeland. Even in Judea and Samaria.”

He further emphasized that no sovereign Palestinian state has ever existed in history. On the issue of illegal construction within Area C, he warned against selective enforcement. Ignoring these violations, Sa’ar stated, amounts to “hypocrisy.”

The conversation also focused on the conduct of the Palestinian Authority. Sa’ar accused the PA of actively funding terrorism and indoctrinating Palestinian youth with hatred. He charged that their education system, religious institutions, and media outlets all serve as channels for “wild incitement against the State of Israel.”

Sa’ar warned that allowing the Palestinian Authority full control over borders and airspace would pose a grave danger to Israeli security, opening the door to the importation of Iranian weaponry. “This will not happen,” he said firmly.

He concluded by underscoring Israel’s red line: “A Palestinian state will not be established for the simple reason that Israel will not be able to forfeit its own security.”

{Matzav.com}