Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that while Israel does not object to Palestinian aspirations to govern themselves, it will not allow a state to be formed that will threaten its security. That is why, Netanyahu underscored, Israel will never relinquish its security control over territories west of the Jordan river. “The potential solution is one in which the Palestinians have all the powers to govern themselves, but none of the powers to threaten us [Israel].” / “Israel, and Israel alone, will have the security responsibility in the area west of the Jordan,” Netanyahu stated. The Israeli leader explained that a permanent presence was necessary to assure that the West Bank does not turn into another Gaza Strip, in which the Islamist Hamas organization would oust the Palestinian Authority and create an additional terror hub to threaten the existence of the Jewish state.
