Cabinet member Minister Gila Gamliel addressed recent US moves, anticipated political pressure on Israel regarding the Palestinian Arab issue, and the investigative committee that will examine the failures of October 7 and the years preceding it, in an interview with Arutz Sheva-Israel National News.
“First and foremost, we are the strongest,” said the minister, asserting that Israel’s status will remain secure even following the F-35 aircraft deal between the US and Saudi Arabia. “Israel is also strong in terms of technological superiority, and that will be preserved.”
Gamliel expressed support for expanding the Abraham Accords: “We should broaden them as much as possible, but for us, this will not come at the cost of establishing a Palestinian state, which will not be established. These are the important points, and any declarative gestures like those at the UN will not be implemented.”
Regarding the possibility that the Saudis might push for progress in establishing a Palestinian state, Gamliel said, “They can say whatever they want. As far as we’re concerned, a Palestinian state will not be established.” She sees this stance as a lesson from the October 7 massacre, emphasizing the need to prevent threatening weapons from reaching Israel’s neighbors.
She added, “True, the proposal passed at the UN Security Council is merely declarative, since it was conditioned on the Palestinian Authority becoming a champion of human rights, recognizing Israel as a Jewish state, educating its children accordingly, and ceasing funding of terror organizations - which will never happen. Still, it’s important to clarify the principled rejection of a Palestinian state, because today the discourse is declarative, but tomorrow a government might change, an American administration might change, and we could find ourselves bound by shifting conditions. That’s why we must always preserve and assert our rights here and explain why a Palestinian state cannot be established in our region, regardless of surrounding declarations.”
On President Donald Trump’s approach to Arab states and his view of them as American allies, Gamliel said, “Trump is indeed Israel’s best friend, and it’s only natural for the US to have other friendships. Hopefully, this can be leveraged to stop Qatar from funding antisemitism against us within US academic institutions. We must ensure and demand that these friendships don’t create complications within the US. This could help us usher in a new era in the Middle East, if we know how to leverage our demands regarding their conduct.”
Gamliel was also asked about criticism of the government’s refusal to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 massacre, and the alternative committee being formed through appointed ministers. “People don’t understand the difference between a state commission of inquiry, which [Supreme Court President] Justice Amit will not appoint, and a ministerial committee established by law that must define the mandate of the committee once it’s formed. These are two different things. Every government, by law, sets the investigative mandate for any committee it establishes. That’s why I’m part of this committee and thank the Prime Minister for his trust. We will need to define the mandate.”
She noted that ministers will also need to decide from which point the investigation should begin. Some believe it should examine failures dating back to the Oslo Accords, others point to the disengagement. “These are the issues we’ll need to consider and present to the government.”
Regarding public trust in the ministerial committee that will define the investigation’s mandate, Gamliel shared that bereaved families have approached her with various proposals. “These matters must be addressed with gravity once the committee’s mandate is clear, and we must ensure broad public consensus so that the committee’s conclusions are accepted by most of the nation. That’s why Prof. Amit cannot appoint this committee - he doesn’t have the majority support of the people.”