Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that there would be no Palestinian state, in a message addressed to the leaders of Britain, Australia, and Canada after they recognized Palestinian statehood.
He said, “I have a clear message for those leaders who recognize a Palestinian state after the horrific massacre on October 7: you are granting a huge reward to terror.
“I have another message for you: it will not happen. No Palestinian state will be established west of the Jordan River. Recognition will endanger our existence and serve as an absurd reward for terrorism.’’
The UK government, along with its Canadian and Australian counterparts, announced formal recognition of the state of Palestine yesterday, in keeping with their earlier threat to do so if the Israeli government failed to take steps to resolve the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip and commit to a long-term peace process that would result in a Palestinian state coexisting with Israel.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded quickly, saying there would be no Palestinian state in a statement to the leaders of Britain, Australia, and Canada.
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Even as the UK’s Conservative Party Leader, Kemi Badenoch, harshly criticized Sir Starmer’s decision to formally recognize the State of Palestine, calling it “absolutely disastrous” and a move that rewards terrorism while ignoring the plight of hostages in Gaza or the suffering of civilians caught up in the conflict.
However, the recognition yesterday came after the United Nations declared famine in Gaza and there was a global uproar over the humanitarian disaster.
With the trio’s recognition, almost 75% of the United Nations’ 193 member states officially recognize the state of Palestine, paving the way for the UN’s proposed two-state solution.
In a post on X, UK’s PM, Keir Starmer, said, “In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a two-state solution.”
The decision has sparked outrage from the Israeli government, families of hostages held in Gaza, and some conservatives.
Sir Keir insisted that the decision “is not a reward for Hamas” because it means Hamas could have “no future, no role in government, no role in security.
“Our call for a genuine two-state solution is the exact opposite of [Hamas’s] hateful vision. The move is a pledge to the Palestinian and Israeli people that there can be a better future.”
He said the “starvation and devastation [in Gaza] are utterly intolerable,” adding that “the death and destruction horrify all of us.”
