Israel election: Netanyahu vows no Palestinian state

March, 17: The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said he will not allow the creation of a Palestinian state if he is re-elected in Tuesday’s vote.

He was attempting to shore up support with polls putting his Likud party just behind the centre-left opposition alliance, the Zionist Union.

The centre-left alliance has promised to repair ties with the Palestinians and the international community.

Neither side is expected to win more than a quarter of the votes.

Mr Netanyahu said that ceding lands to the Palestinians would risk leaving Israel open to attacks by Islamists.

“Whoever ignores that is burying his head in the sand. The left is doing that, burying its head in the sand time after time,” he told the nrg news website.

When asked if that meant a Palestinian state would not be established if he is elected, Netanyahu replied “indeed”.

BBC