Transcript [00:00] Now to former Israeli national [00:01] spokesperson, Eylon Levy, who joins us [00:03] now. Very good morning to you. What do [00:05] you make of what Ed Miliband's statement [00:07] says? [00:08] >> Look, it's frankly bizarre that Labour [00:10] government has decided to pick a fight [00:13] and damage relations with Israel because [00:15] of a housing project on the outskirts of [00:17] Jerusalem. It was the October 7th [00:20] massacre that buried the two-state [00:22] solution. The October 7th massacre and [00:24] Hamas's barbaric invasion that convinced [00:27] Israelis we would have to be absolutely [00:29] suicidal to surrender more territory [00:31] just a few meters away from people's [00:33] homes to people who think that that [00:35] barbaric massacre was a good idea. We're [00:37] talking about a piece of territory that [00:40] sits between Jerusalem and a town of [00:42] 40,000 people. That is never going to be [00:45] part of a Palestinian state whether one [00:48] is ever formed or not. It's a really sad [00:50] to see that Labour for its own domestic [00:53] reasons has decided to sabotage [00:55] relations with Israel and frankly [00:57] bizarre to see them do it over a housing [00:58] project that no one in Israel can [01:00] understand what the big fuss is all [01:01] about. [01:02] >> Well, [01:03] except the UK is against it, as is [01:06] France, as is Germany, as is Italy, as [01:08] is Canada. We're hardly out on a limb [01:10] here. [01:11] >> No, but neither the UK, nor France, nor [01:14] Germany, nor Canada, nor Norway has [01:16] Hamas sitting on its borders, right? [01:18] Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005. What [01:21] followed was Hamas's terrorist army that [01:23] invaded on October 7th, 2023 to [01:26] slaughter many people. [01:28] >> Yeah, all right, Eylon. [01:30] With with with the with the greatest of [01:32] respect, we're across it, but the [01:33] difference here is it's not about [01:36] Look, I know what we view it from an [01:38] outside perspective, right? Which is [01:40] which is different. However, it's it's [01:43] about moving forward, isn't it? It's [01:45] about how do we bring a long-term and [01:47] lasting peace [01:49] to the region with what most people [01:51] agree would have to be some sort of [01:53] two-state solution. And the argument [01:55] here is this is this would prevent a [01:57] two-state solution from happening. [01:59] >> I'm sorry, October 7th convinced the [02:02] vast majority of Israelis, including [02:04] those who had been supportive of a [02:05] two-state solution, that it would be [02:07] absolutely suicidal for Israel to give [02:11] up the mountains surrounding Jerusalem [02:13] and controlling Tel Aviv to people who [02:15] think that the October 7th massacre was [02:17] a good idea. Israel got invaded by a [02:21] barbaric terrorist army from territory [02:23] that it had withdrawn from in the [02:25] interest of peace. And if Britain wants [02:27] to continue having an influence in the [02:29] region, and I really hope it does, it [02:31] needs to learn the lessons of why [02:34] Israelis think that a two-state solution [02:36] would be truly delusional, would be [02:39] truly suicidal. Israelis have been on a [02:41] real journey since the October 7th [02:44] massacre about what we have to do to [02:46] protect our security. And the idea that [02:48] in the interest of peace, Israel should [02:50] surrender an area right next to [02:53] Jerusalem, [02:54] uh to [02:55] could be taken over by terrorist armies [02:57] that want to perpetrate the same [02:59] massacre as October 7th, is frankly [03:01] delusional and insane. I think a little [03:03] bit of humility would be in order from [03:06] Britain to speak to Israelis and [03:08] understand why they think that this [03:10] solution that they've been banging on [03:12] about for so long would be truly [03:13] suicidal. It's not going to happen. [03:16] >> This statement though from European [03:17] allies and Canada says that this plan [03:20] only takes us all further from peace and [03:23] further undermines Israel's [03:24] international standing. What do you make [03:26] of that? [03:28] >> Frankly, a bizarre statement by foreign [03:31] ministers who with greatest respect, I [03:32] don't think have looked at a map. This [03:34] is a small sliver of territory between [03:37] Jerusalem and between Ma'ale Adumim, [03:39] which is an Israeli town of 40,000 [03:42] people. That is not territory that is [03:44] ever going to be part of a Palestinian [03:45] state and it definitely doesn't bisect [03:48] the West Bank or Judea Samaria, whatever [03:51] we call it. This is strategic territory [03:53] on the outskirts of Israel's capital [03:55] city. The one would have to be insane to [03:57] think Israel is ever going to surrender [03:59] control of it. I think countries that [04:01] want to have an influence need to learn [04:04] the lessons of the October 7th massacre, [04:07] need to engage seriously with Israelis [04:09] when they say that it would be dangerous [04:11] for Israel to withdraw from territory [04:14] right next to people's homes, too. As [04:16] long as the Palestinians continue to [04:18] think that Israel should be destroyed [04:20] from the river to the sea. Those are the [04:21] chance we hear on the streets of London. [04:23] From the river to the sea. It means no [04:25] more Israel. And peace will come when [04:27] the Palestinians give up that [04:29] century-long dream of destroying any [04:31] Jewish state from the river to the sea. [04:33] And decide they want to live next to [04:35] Israel, not instead of it. [04:36] Unfortunately, steps like this from the [04:38] British government don't encourage [04:40] moderation on the side of the [04:41] Palestinians. They encourage them to [04:43] think that foreign governments are going [04:45] to continue pressuring Israel [04:47] while they continue demanding from the [04:49] river to the sea, while they continue [04:50] supporting terrorism, and while they [04:52] continue to fail to learn the lessons of [04:54] the October 7th massacre.
Eylon Levy argues that the October 7 massacre fundamentally changed how Israelis view territorial concessions, warning that withdrawing from strategic areas near Jerusalem could expose Israeli communities to another Hamas-style attack.
In this tense interview on GB News, former Israeli national spokesman Eylon Levy explains:
Why October 7 changed Israeli public opinion on the two-state solution
Why Israel considers the territory near Jerusalem and Ma'ale Adumim strategically vital
Why he believes Britain and other European governments need to understand Israel's security concerns
How Hamas' continued terrorism and calls for Israel's destruction undermine prospects for peace
Why international pressure on Israel could, in his view, discourage Palestinian moderation
The debate over Israeli settlements, Palestinian statehood and the two-state solution reflects a fundamental disagreement over how lasting peace can be achieved. Levy argues that Israelis cannot be expected to surrender strategically important territory while Hamas and other groups continue to reject Israel's existence and advocate further violence.
🎯 “October 7th convinced the vast majority of Israelis... that it would be absolutely suicidal.” Levy argues that Israel's security concerns must be understood through the experience of the October 7 massacre and the threat of another attack.
