Arad: Palestinian state delegitimizes Israel

The chairman of Israel’s National Security Council said that a Palestinian state is being built at the expense of the Jewish state’s legitimacy,

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JERUSALEM (JTA) — The chairman of Israel’s National Security Council said that a Palestinian state is being built at the expense of the Jewish state’s legitimacy, 

"The creation of a Palestinian state remains the choice of many," Uzi Arad said Wednesday at a meeting of the Jewish Agency board of governors in Jerusalem, according to the Washington Post. "But in the process, have you failed to notice that the more we lend legitimacy to a Palestinian state, the more it comes at the expense of our own?"

Arad, who also serves as national security adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called the Palestinians "major actors in the delegitimization of Israel" and said that continuing to pursue peace even via indirect peace talks meant that Israel is "embracing an adversary who is conducting a very effective battle against us internationally."

While Arad did not address whether or not Israel would launch a military attack against Iran’s nuclear program, he told the Jewish Agency gathering that he believes the international community would back the action.

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