Israel’s parliament (Knesset) has passed a resolution that rejected the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The resolution passed in the Knesset with 68 votes in favour and just nine against it.
It said that a Palestinian state would pose “an existential danger to the State of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and destabilize the region.”
The resolution was quoted as stating, “It will only be a matter of a short time until Hamas takes over the Palestinian state and turns it into a radical Islamic terror base, working in coordination with the Iranian-led axis to eliminate the State of Israel.”
It added that a Palestinian state at this time would be a “reward for terrorism and will only encourage Hamas and its supporters to see this as a victory”, referring to the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023 in southern Israel that triggered the current conflict.
The decision, however, is not new for the Knesset which has previously rejected Palestinian statehood.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition with far-right parties co-sponsored the resolution.
It was reported that Opposition leader, Yair Lapid’s centre-left party left the session to avoid supporting the statement, despite previously saying that he favoured a two-state solution.
Nonetheless, a growing number of countries have recognised Palestinian statehood, including Spain, Slovenia, Norway, Ireland and others.
Resolution Faces Criticism
Mustafa Barghouti, the Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, slammed the passing of the resolution.
“No Zionist party from both the government and the opposition voted against the resolution,” he noted on X.
“This resolution represents a rejection of peace with Palestinians and an official declaration of the death of [the] Oslo agreement,” Barghouti added.
The Oslo Accords, which were first signed between Palestinian and Israeli leaders in 1993, called for a viable and sovereign Palestinian state living side by side with an Israeli state.
However, Israel has continued to adopt policies such as illegal settlement building on Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank and a blockade of Gaza that have become hurdles in the realisation of the Palestinian state. Settlements are considered illegal under international law.
Also, Palestinian Authority official Hussein al-Sheikh condemned the resolution on social media.
He said that the Knesset’s rejection “confirms the racism of the occupying state and its disregard for international law and international legitimacy, and its insistence on the approach and policy of perpetuating the occupation forever.”
Moreover, Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the resolution’s approval was a “dangerous” violation of international law.
According to a statement citing the ministry’s spokesperson, Sufyan al-Qudah, “Israel’s continued efforts to deny the Palestinians’ inalienable right to their independent and sovereign state along the lines of June 4, 1967, with occupied Jerusalem as its capital, does not bring security and peace in the region.”
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