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Israeli FM: ‘Palestine’ would be a ‘terror state’

Gideon Sa’ar cited Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen as examples of why a Palestinian state would threaten Israel’s security.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar addresses a visiting German delegation in Jerusalem on Nov. 16, 2025. Source: @IsraelMFA/X.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar addresses a visiting German delegation in Jerusalem on Nov. 16, 2025. Source: @IsraelMFA/X.

A Palestinian state would be a “terror state,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Sunday.

Speaking to a delegation of young German leaders visiting Jerusalem, Sa’ar said: “There is a new obsession in the world, and mainly in Europe, that lacks any geopolitical logic. We are facing three terrorist states, a unique phenomenon in the Middle East.

“I want you to understand, there are not simply terror organizations. Terror organizations that control land and populations become terrorist states, and it’s like comparing between neo-Nazis that exist in the world today and the Nazi regime who controlled a territory and people.”

The Israeli foreign minister went on to state that “the terrorist states in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen have not yet been dismantled, but some people are quick to suggest that we will establish a Palestinian terror state in the heart of our tiny homeland. It means two kilometers from the place we are sitting right now, it would control the topography over all our population centers, and this is what they suggested after Oct. 7, even though it’s clear that such an experiment would only lead to another terror state,” referring to the Hamas-led invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany, is accompanying the youth delegation, which was organized by the European Division of Israel’s Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in Berlin.

The visit marks 60 years of diplomatic ties between Jerusalem and Berlin and aims to deepen future leaders’ understanding of the “Israeli story.” The delegation will visit educational sites and hear testimonies from Oct. 7 survivors, including singer and Nova festival massacre survivor Yuval Raphael, who performed for and spoke to the group on Sunday.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke on Sunday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, shortly after urging Berlin to “stand with Israel” as part of a renewed “Western alliance.”

The call was “good and friendly,” focusing on “diplomatic and regional issues,” Netanyahu’s office said.

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