Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar held a press conference for foreign media today (Tuesday) at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem - and addressed the pressure being exerted on Israel in the international arena, against the backdrop of the "starvation" campaign in Gaza, which is being produced by Hamas and echoed by the international media, and emphasized that it is harming efforts to reach an agreement with Hamas.
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"We are witnessing a distorted campaign of international pressure against Israel in recent days," the minister said. "This campaign is fueling the wave of anti-Semitism that we have seen recently. When they demand an end to the war - what do they really mean? They mean an end to the war while Hamas remains in power in Gaza. That would be a tragedy for both the Israelis and the Palestinians. That is exactly why they took the hostages in the first place: in an attempt to impose their will on Israel. That will not happen. No matter how much pressure is put on Israel."
Saar added: "The second goal of that distorted campaign is to impose a Palestinian terrorist state on Israel. The French Foreign Minister said yesterday in New York that Europe must pressure Israel to accept the 'two-state solution.' Establishing a Palestinian state today is establishing a Hamas state, a jihadist state. That will not happen."
"We are aware that there are countries in Europe today with large Muslim populations, and sometimes this affects the policies of governments. But this cannot and will not lead Israel to commit suicide. We will not allow the establishment of a jihadist terrorist state in the heart of our historic homeland. We will not allow a Hamas terrorist state to arise within a few kilometers of our population centers."
He emphasized: "Israel will not be the Czechoslovakia of the 21st century. We will not sacrifice our very existence for the appeasement countries. We will not give up our basic interests for the internal political considerations of countries that have lost control of their streets. But those same countries still arrogantly pretend to tell us what is good for our security."
"Diplomatic pressure will not change our policy. No external force will lead Israel to sacrifice its security. We will always be open to constructive dialogue. But pressure on us will not work. It must be clear: International pressure on Israel in these critical days of negotiations on a ceasefire and a hostage deal has already caused Hamas to harden its positions. This pressure directly sabotages the prospects for a ceasefire and hostage deal. It only pushes toward a security escalation by hardening Hamas' position.
"Anyone who is concerned about the humanitarian situation must ask themselves: Who is responsible for the suffering of the residents of Gaza? Who is responsible for the war and its continuation? There is only one clear answer: Hamas. Hamas started the war with the October 7 massacre. Hamas is responsible for the continuation of the war by refusing to release the hostages, we still have 50 hostages in Gaza, and by refusing to disarm. International pressure should not be on Israel. It must be on Hamas."
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