In an interview with LBC’s Nick Ferrari, Israeli Ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, claimed that 80% of Palestinians supported the Hamas-led attacks on

October 7. She used this statistic to argue that a viable Palestinian state is far from achievable, given the widespread support for Hamas' actions.

Hotovely stated that the statistic highlights the significant challenges ahead for any peace process, asserting that "there is a long way to go" before negotiations can begin for a two-state solution. She emphasized that Hamas has deeply influenced the Palestinian population with its ideology, which rejects the existence of Israel.

"It's so simple – Hamas took over the minds and hearts of Palestinians as ideology. Hamas is a terror organization that believes Israel shouldn’t exist," Hotovely said. She referenced the Hamas charter, which calls for the elimination of Israel, and argued that such widespread support for this ideology makes peace difficult.

When asked to clarify the 80% figure, Hotovely cited Palestinian research centers and said the data was collected shortly after the attacks. "The numbers were really shocking," she added, attributing the lack of peace to Iran's influence in the region, which she claims fuels radical ideologies.

On the topic of potential war crime charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the Gaza war, Hotovely was firm in her defense. She stated, "The ICC doesn’t have jurisdiction over Israel," and criticized the International Criminal Court for putting democratic leaders at risk while they are fighting terrorism.

In response to the UK’s suspension of some arms export licenses to Israel, Hotovely argued that it sent the wrong message, especially as Israel was close to securing a hostage deal at the time. Photo by Arielinson, Wikimedia commons.