President Isaac Herzog on Thursday gave an interview to The Associated Press, in which he joined the ranks of high-ranking Israeli officials to speak out against a two-state solution after the war in Gaza.
Herzog told the news agency that it is not the time to be talking about establishing an independent Palestinian state when the country's pain from Hamas' October 7 attack is still fresh.
"What I want to urge is against just saying two-state solution. Why? Because there is an emotional chapter here that must be dealt with. My nation is bereaving. My nation is in trauma," he said.
"In order to get back to the idea of dividing the land, of negotiating peace or talking to the Palestinians, etc., one has to deal first and foremost with the emotional trauma that we are going through and the need and demand for full sense of security for all people," added Herzog, who is due to meet US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, on Friday.
US officials have reiterated their commitment to a two-state solution and have said that the Palestinian Authority should be placed in charge of Gaza after the war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that the PA, which pays families of terrorists who murdered Israelis, will not be part of the solution in Gaza after the war.
In the AP interview on Thursday, Herzog predicted the Israeli campaign in northern Gaza could wrap up within weeks, but declined to say when the war would end.
"I think one can see that in the northern part of Gaza, one can see the horizon," Herzog said. "We can see the end of that campaign, not far away in the next few weeks."
He added that the end of the campaign in the south would only come when Hamas was "completely eradicated."