Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu angrily responded angrily to the UK, Australia and the coordinated decision of Canada to formally recognize the Palestinian state and exclude its establishment.
“The Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River,” Netanyahu said. “You give a huge reward of terrorism … it won’t happen.”
It indicated possible retaliation, including the attachment of parts of the West Bank. Israeli formal reaction, he said, will follow his meetings at the UN General Assembly as US President Donald Trump at the end of this week.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich ranged the attitude: “The days when Britain and other countries would determine our future … The only answer to this anti-Israeli step is the sovereignty over Judea and Samar and eliminate the foolish idea of the Palestinian state forever.”
The opposition accuses the government of Netanyahu
The Israeli leader of the opposition Yair Lapid criticized both recognition and Netanyahu’s manipulation of diplomacy.
“The uniform recognition of the Palestinian state is a reward for terrorism, but also the result of government failure,” Lapid said on X.
“The Israeli government could prevent it … The government that brought us the worst security disaster in our history now also brings the most serious diplomatic crisis.”
UK, Australia, Canada recognizes Palestine
The United Kingdom, Australia and Canada formally acknowledged the Palestinian state in a coordinated initiative that reflected growing frustration with the Israeli behavior of war in Gaza and continued to expand the settlements of the West Bank. This step adds three community nations to more than 150 countries that already recognize Palestine.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that recognition was aimed at reviving hope for peace.
“Today, to revive the hope of peace and solving two states, I clearly mention as the prime minister of this great country that the United Kingdom formally recognizes the state of Palestin,” Starmer said in a video report.
He stressed that the decision was not a reward for Hamas, which made 7 October 2023, attacks:
“We recognized Israel more than 75 years ago as a homeland’s homeland. Today we join more than 150 countries that also recognize the Palestinian state.”
Palestinian leadership comes from recognition
Palestinian President Mahmúd Abbas welcomed step as a step towards peace.
“It allows the State of Palestine to live side by side with the State of Israel in the field of security, peace and good neighborhood,” Abbas said according to the Palestinian press agency Wafa.
The militant group Hamas also appreciated recognition and called it a result of Palestinian “struggle, perseverance and victims”. It urged the international community to isolated Israel and “escalated repressive measures” against its leaders.
Division in the UK
Recognition was triggered by political divisions in Britain. The opposition leader Kemi Badenoch condemned this step and said:
“We will be all Rue on the day of this decision … remuneration of terrorism without any conditions for Hamas.
The decision comes in the middle of the almost two years of the Gaza War, which killed more than 65,000 people, displaced most of their population and created a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Last week, the UN Council for Human Rights accused Israel of the commitment of genocide in Gaza – the transport of Israel rejected as “distorted and false”.
Also read | The world sees hope in solving two states. Israelis and Palestinians do not see any. (Tagstotranslate) Israeli Prime Minister
