Israeli FM Sa’ar in Washington: “There Will Be No Palestinian State”
Gideon Sa’ar meets U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington as talks focus on Iran, Gaza war, and UN diplomacy
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The corridors of Washington rang with diplomatic pleasantries Wednesday evening, but the blunt remark of Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar quickly turned into the headline: “There will be no Palestinian state.”
Sa’ar had just concluded a working session with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The two shook hands in front of cameras, avoided questions, and then retreated for a closed-door meeting, first with their delegations and later one-on-one.
Iran, Gaza, and the UN stage
According to officials on both sides, the meeting centered on three burning issues: unprecedented Israeli-American cooperation on blocking Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the snapback sanctions mechanism, and the ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. Both ministers also coordinated strategies ahead of next month’s UN General Assembly, where pro-Palestinian resolutions and anti-Israel initiatives are expected to be advanced.
Sa’ar later tweeted thanks in English to Rubio for his “warm hospitality and steadfast support for Israel,” calling the session “productive” and highlighting the shared challenges and interests of the two allies.
But when pressed by reporters about European and Arab moves toward recognizing a Palestinian state, Sa’ar was unequivocal: “There will be no such state.”
Meanwhile, American sources confirmed that a parallel “big meeting” on Gaza’s future was taking place in the White House. President Donald Trump received updates from his son-in-law Jared Kushner and close ally, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. Both men have been promoting a vision for Gaza’s reconstruction once the war ends. In past remarks, Kushner described the coastal enclave as holding “enormous potential for economic value.”
Sa’ar, for his part, signed the State Department’s guest book before sitting down with Rubio, reaffirming what he later called in front of cameras: “There is no greater friend to Israel than the United States of Donald Trump.”