The Israeli government formally rejected any attempts by Western countries to unilaterally recognize Palestinian statehood as it issued a formal statement Sunday against such a move.
“Israel outright rejects international dictates regarding a final status agreement with the Palestinians. The agreement, in so far as it will be reached, will be solely through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions,” the government said in a statement on the issue after its Sunday meeting.
“Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such recognition in the wake of the October 7th massacre would give a huge reward to unprecedented terrorism and prevent any future peace agreement,” the statement emphasized.
It stopped short of renouncing any Palestinian statehood attempts. It focused instead on this newest drive in the wake of the Hamas-led October 7 attack against Israel, in which over 1,200 people were killed and another 253 seized as hostages.
Netanyahu has been voicing this message in recent days
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued some three statements over the last few days echoing this same sentiment.
Minister Benny Gantz (National Unity) said after the meeting that the “pathway to peace is not through one-sided recognition of a Palestinian state.
This will happen “through facilitating a long-term process that will consolidate a regional architecture facing Iranian axis of terror and by advancing international arrangements that will improve the life of people through the region and promote stability and peace,” Gantz said.
He spoke about the issue during an address to a gathering of top American Jewish leaders in Jerusalem during the annual Conference of Presidents.
At the Munich Security Conference earlier in the day, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said that Western countries must unilaterally recognize Palestinian statehood and support its bid for United Nations membership.