Other Than Israel, There Won’t Be a Sovereign State West of Jordan River, Envoy Says

Gaza will never become an independent nation, Israel Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter says.  

“There’s not going to be an independent sovereign state other than Israel west of the Jordan River,” Leiter told The Daily Signal.  

“There could be all sorts of autonomous arrangements,” he said, “but there’s not going to be an independent sovereign Palestinian state west of the Jordan River. It’s just not going to be.”  

The nation of Israel extends from the Jordan River west to the Mediterranean Sea to form a narrow country that is roughly the size of New Jersey. Since Hamas launched its attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, pro-Palestine protesters in America and around the world have chanted, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” referring to Palestine occupying all the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, in effect eliminating the nation of Israel.  

In the wake of Oct. 7, there is a “complete absence of bandwidth” in Israel for the creation of a Palestinian state next to Israel. There is, however, a great deal of interest in Israel to expand partnerships with nations in the Middle East through the Abraham Accords, according to Leiter.  

In President Donald Trump’s first term, the Abraham Accords have normalized relations between Israel and Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Sudan.

Leiter says he would like to see every nation—except Iran under its current regime—join the Abraham Accords, which have created peace and strong economic ties between the participating nations.  

It’s “not relevant” for Iran to be a part of the accord, the ambassador said, adding that he also has “grave reservations about Qatar because, on the one hand, they’re supporting all sorts of good things, and on the other hand, they’re supporting all kinds of evil things, like Hamas.” Qatar has helped to fund Hamas.  

But Leiter says he hopes nations such as Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and African counties with large Muslim populations will sign onto the accords and normalize relations with Israel.

Leiter joined “The Daily Signal Podcast” the same week President Donald Trump was barnstorming the Middle East and calling for nations such as Saudi Arabia and Syria to join the Abraham Accords. Leiter, echoing Trump, also explains why Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.  

Watch the podcast above or listen below.  

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