President Herzog discusses a Palestinian state and the ICC with Piers Morgan

President Herzog gave an interview to Piers Morgan today (Wednesday) in which he explained the Israeli view of a possible Palestinian state and the ICC Prosecutor's decision to file for arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant.

Regarding a possible Palestinian state, Herzog said "There is a big argument in Israel regarding the capability or the acceptance of the idea of a Palestinian state, because following October 7, in Israel, the deep feeling is that the neighbours that everybody promised us will be peaceful neighbours have attacked us in a brutal way and killed and butchered and raped and abducted first and foremost the biggest supporters of peace in Israel.

"So there is also a national feeling that there is no trust – and in order to move to any possible future there must be first and foremost trust. These are the issues we must deal with the first before throwing declarations written in foreign offices here or there for which served perhaps internal political pressures in some countries, but in the end it won't help any Palestinian or any Israeli for that matter."

Herzog also addressed the feeling in Israel that the ICC Prosecutor was not dealing with the country in good faith: "We have to tell your viewers that first and foremost that this announcement by the prosecutor has been carried out in bad faith. We agreed to have a dialogue and bring the prosecutor to Israel, and his chief of staff was supposed to land in Israel at 6pm, two days ago, and all of a sudden, he rescinded his visit, and the announcement came out. And it shocked all of us because we acted in good faith, and we are waiting to have a dialogue with any international body that is relevant and honest."