Herzog to Blinken: Hamas must be eradicated before ‘normalisation’ deal

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, while at the Munich Security Conference, met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, addressing the US official's earlier comments about “normalising” realations with Arab countries.

“I heard your remarks today, and I think that I find them very interesting. I think there are opportunities; they need to be studied in depth. However, first and foremost, Israel’s security must be preserved, and for this, we have to complete the work of undermining and eradicating the basic infrastructure of Hamas,” Herzog said.

There is an “extraordinary opportunity” in the near future for Israel to be integrated into the Middle East as Arab countries are willing to normalise ties with it, Blinked said earlier in the day.