Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid considered that an agreement on the basis of two states is the best solution for Israel's security and economy, provided that the Palestinians lay down their arms.
Lapid stipulated, in his speech before the United Nations General Assembly, that the future Palestinian state be "peace-loving and lay down its arms, after which there will be no restrictions."
He addressed the Palestinians, saying, "Lay down your weapons, and prove to us that the Islamic Jihad and Hamas movements will not control the Palestinian state that you want to establish. Lay down your arms and peace will come."
His comments at the UN General Assembly are in line with US President Joe Biden's declaration of support for a two-state solution during his visit to Israel last August, and come after years of Israeli leaders avoiding any mention of the issue at the UN.
Lapid's comments came less than 6 weeks before the November 1 elections that could restore former right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a longtime opponent of the two-state solution, to power.
Commenting on Lapid's speech, a prominent member of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Wasel Abu Youssef, said that Lapid's statements were "just talk and dust in the eyes."
He added that whoever agrees to the two-state solution must abide by the agreements signed to reach the two-state solution, and stop killing, colonial expansion and land confiscation.
nuclear Iran
In another context, Lapid attacked Iran in his speech, and believed that only military force could prevent Tehran from producing a nuclear bomb.
He called on the international community to use "military force" if Iran developed nuclear weapons, and said Israel would do "whatever is necessary" to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear bomb.
He said that there is only one member state of the United Nations that explicitly declares that it wants to destroy another member state, and continued, "Iran has repeatedly stated that it is interested in the complete destruction of the State of Israel."
For months, Israel has been leading an intense diplomatic campaign in an effort to persuade the United States and major European powers such as Britain, France and Germany, not to revive the 2015 international agreement between the major powers and Iran on its nuclear program and its official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
In his speech, Lapid called on Arab and Muslim countries to join the Abraham Agreements and normalize relations with Israel, and he singled out Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.