Israel will not allow creation of Palestinian state — defense minister
Jul 25, 2025
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netan... Credit: Alexander Zemlianichenko /AP POOL
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation on Saturday, which the Prime Minister's Office said was arranged at Moscow's initiative and followed "a series of talks preceding it recently, dealing with regional topics."
According to the Kremlin, the two discussed "recent developments in the Gaza Strip amid the cease-fire, the situation around Iran's nuclear program, and efforts to support stability in Syria."
Earlier this week, Russia submitted its proposal on Gaza to the UN Security Council, challenging a U.S. effort to pass its own text that would endorse President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan.
The Russian plan differs significantly from the U.S. proposal. While it welcomes the cease-fire, supports Trump's Gaza plan and expresses backing for the Sharm el-Sheikh summit held in September, it rejects any attempt to make territorial changes in Gaza.
Trump's plan and the U.S. proposal allow Israel to maintain control over the "security perimeter" in the enclave for an unspecified period.
Additionally, while the U.S. plan focuses on establishing an "International Stabilization Force" with near-complete independence from the UN, the Russian proposal places responsibility for implementing Trump's plan – and for establishing the force – with the UN secretary-general, effectively putting it under UN authority, which Israel and the U.S. would oppose.
The Russian proposal also explicitly commits to a two-state solution, which Israel does not accept. In the past few days, the U.S. has updated its draft to include a reference to a potential framework for Palestinian autonomy and statehood, using ambiguous phrasing similar to that in Trump's 20-point plan.
Last month, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa visited the Kremlin and met with Putin. In recent months, the two sides have begun signaling a degree of rapprochement after al-Sharaa's government – which toppled the Assad regime long backed by Russia – initially projected hostility toward Moscow.
After Assad's fall, Reuters reported that Netanyahu's military secretary, Roman Gofman, visited Moscow and that Israel tried to persuade the United States to allow Russian military bases to remain in Syria as a counterweight to Turkey.
