Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon said Wednesday that he believes a final-status agreement between the Jewish state and the Palestinians is unlikely in the near future.

During a talk with a gathering of international reporters about conflicts in the region, Ya’alon said that for now he can “live with two Palestinian political entities, [including] Hamastan,” using a nickname for the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, and remains opposed to Israeli annexation of the West Bank, as he “does not want to rule” the area’s Palestinian population.

“I am happy that we have political separation from the Palestinians. I am happy that they have their own government, Parliament, their own president, that they don’t have to go to the Knesset,” Ya’alon added.

Ya’alon, who was ousted from his defense minister post last May after a fallout with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, recently announced that he will form a new political party to run in future national elections against Netanyahu’s Likud party.