Israeli War Minister told PA President he wants to be ‘the new Rabin’

Occupied Palestine (QNN)- During a meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in August, Israeli War Minister Benny Gantz said he want to be the new Yitzhak Rabin, Israeli television reported on Friday.

According to Israeli Channel 12 news, PA Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh relayed details of the meeting between Gantz and Abbas in a recent sit-down he held with activists and journalists.

“I believe in the two-state solution and believe it is the appropriate solution,” Gantz was quoted as telling Abbas.

“I want to be the new [Yitzhak] Rabin but in this government there are limits,” he reportedly added, referring to the late Israeli premier who signed the so-called Oslo accords with the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

Gantz’s office told the Channel 12 that the quotes were “not exact,” without elaborating.

The Channel 12 also reported that Abbas threatened to call for the establishment of a Palestinian state on the basis of the 1947 UN Partition Plan.

“If the current government doesn’t want to accept the two-state solution on the basis of the 1967 borders, we will act to advance another solution — the 1947 Partition Plan,” Abbas was said to tell Gantz.

During his UN speech, Abbas also gave the occupation state one year to end its occupation of 1967-occupied territories, otherwise, the PA will consider withdrawing its recognition of ‘Israel’.

“We give Israel one year to end its occupation. During this time we are ready to demarcate the border. If Israel doesn’t agree we will consider withdrawing our recognition of Israel on the 1967 lines and going to ICC”, Abbas said.

While Gantz backs a two-state solution, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s Yamina party and the fellow-right wing party New Hope are opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state.

Bennett reiterated his opposition to a Palestinian state in an interview last month, saying “I think it would be a terrible mistake.”

Bennett also made no mention of the Palestinians in his speech at the UN.