The instability in the region is not a result of Israel and the Palestinians. That was never the cause of this instability. Instead, the disfunctionality of many of these societies that have failed to modernize.
Most of the approaches to peace between Israel and the Palestinians, have been directed at trying to resolve the most complex problems, like refugees and Jerusalem, which is akin to building the pyramid from the top down.
I can tell you one thing, Iran is closer to developing nuclear weapons today than it was a week ago, or a month ago or a year ago. It’s just moving on with its efforts.
This is why, as a prime minister of Israel, I can promise you one more thing: Even if Israel has to stand alone, Israel will stand. But I know that Israel does not stand alone. I know that America stands with Israel.
I say that to my colleagues, by the way, in the internal Cabinet meetings, I say, ‘Look, I want to be very clear about what I want.’ I just – I don’t want a peace process, I want a peace result.
I’m very proud of the fact that Israel is the one country in a very broad radius that – in which Arabs have free and fair elections. That’s sacrosanct. That will never change. I wasn’t trying to suppress a vote.
I don’t want to govern the Palestinians. I don’t want them as subjects of Israel or as citizens of Israel. I want them to have their own independent state but a demilitarized state.
