In a last-ditch effort to bag a victory at the polls, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, on the eve of elections, declared that if he wins a fourth term, he will not establish a Palestinian state.

This announcement is in contrast to Netanyahu's previous recommendation of a two-state solution, which he had proposed in a 2009 speech at Bar Ilan University.

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Many world leaders have long been suspecting that Netanyahu was not sincere when he advocated the two-state principle, and this new announcement tends to confirm their reading of what is going on in Netanyahu's mind.

"I think that anyone who is going to establish a Palestinian state today and evacuate lands is giving attack grounds to the radical Islam against the state of Israel," Netanyahu said.

The Israeli leader made the statement in a video interview posted on RON, a right-leaning new site.

Netanyahu's pronouncement is said to cause further strain in his government's diplomatic ties with the United States and European countries, who are already upset with Israel's stalled peace process with the Palestinians.

He warned, "There is a real threat here that a left-wing government will join the international community and follow its orders."

Natanyahu is running against Isaac Herzog of the center-left Zionist Union.

Herzog vows to revive the talks with the Palestinians, but he is also straightforward in saying that a peace agreement may be far off at this time. He has, however, used Netanyahu's supposed "international alienation" to his advantage, calling it a security threat to the country.

In 1900s, the 65-year-old Netanyahu led Israel for three years. Then, he resumed the premiership in 2009.

Three months ago, he had called a parliamentary elections in a bid to replace the governing majority, which is already divided by the Palestine issue. Now, Netanyahu finds himself suddenly struggling to keep himself in power by way of re-election, in a nation whose citizens are already tired of this political issue.

The people are more concerned about the hight cost of housing and basic commodities.

Political blogger Tal Schneider notes that there are many who still belong to the right wing and are tired of Netanyahu.

"The Israelis perceive themselves as creative and non-conformists. They hate the feeling of stagnation, of seeing themselves as counting down another war," Schneider explained. "This vacuum, this feeling of forever status quo, this is the Bibi fatigue (referring to Netanyahu)."

TagsBenjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Palestine, Israel elections