Israel Rejects Unilateral International Recognition of Palestinian State

Jerusalem, 18 February, 2024 (TPS) -- The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday passed a statement rejecting international unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state against the backdrop of reports that the US is mulling such a measure.

“In light of remarks that have been heard recently in the international community about an attempt to unilaterally force a Palestinian state on Israel, today I submit for government approval a declarative decision on the issue. I am certain that it will receive very broad support,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in remarks at the beginning of Sunday’s weekly Cabinet meeting.

“Israel utterly rejects international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. A settlement, if it is to be reached, will come about solely through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions,” said the statement, which was uninamously passed.

“Israel will continue to oppose unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such recognition in the wake of the October 7th massacre would be a massive and unprecedented reward to terrorism and would prevent any future peace settlement,” the statement concluded.

The statement reiterated points Netanyahu raised in a press conference on Saturday night.

“An arrangement will be achieved only by direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions. Under my leadership, Israel will continue to strongly oppose unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state,” the prime minister said.

“And when do they want to give such unilateral recognition? After the terrible massacre of Oct. 7. There can be no greater and unprecedented prize to terrorism, which will also prevent any future peace agreement,” he added.

More than half of Israelis polled oppose a peace agreement tying the creation of a Palestinian state to normalized relations with Saudi Arabia according to a survey released in early February.

The Tazpit Press Service reported in mid-January that efforts to normalize Israeli-Saudi relations remain knotted by the war in Gaza. Saudi leaders say the war must end before normalization talks can continue. But Israel wants clarity on what a Saudi role in post-war Gaza would look like before the conflict ends.

At least 1,200 people were killed and 240 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the remaining 134 hostages, Israel recently declared 31 of them dead.