The Israeli cabinet unanimously approved a statement rejecting all “international dictates” seeking to push Palestinian statehood, which it termed as equivalent to a “massive and unprecedented prize for terror” that would prevent any future peace deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (Feb 18) said that his government would vote on a “declaratory decision” about Israel’s resistance to the imposition of Palestinian independence by force.
At the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said that this move comes after “recent talk in the international community about an attempt to unilaterally impose on Israel a Palestinian state.”
He said the formal statement would reflect that, “Israel rejects outright international dictates regarding a permanent arrangement with the Palestinians. Such an arrangement can only be reached in direct negotiations between the sides, without preconditions.”
“Israel will continue to oppose a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such a recognition, following the massacre of October 7, will give terrorism a huge reward, a reward like no other, and will prevent any future peace agreement,” the Israeli prime minister said.
The ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, which raged after Hamas launched unprecedented attacks against Israel on Oct 7, is the latest in the conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians that have reverberated for over seven decades and destabilised the Middle East.
Since 2014, attempts to establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel in the West Bank and Gaza have been stalled.
United States President Joe Biden has been attempting to broker a more comprehensive agreement that would see the establishment of a Palestinian state in addition to Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations restoring diplomatic relations with Israel.
US threatens to veto ceasefire proposal at UNSC for third time
Meanwhile, the US has signalled it would veto an Algerian push at the UN Security Council (UNSC) to demand an urgent ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The vote at the 15-member body is scheduled to take place on Tuesday (Feb 20) and the draft of the proposal was put forward two weeks ago. US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the text could sabotage ongoing “sensitive negotiations” aimed at hammering out a peace deal.
For Algeria’s proposal to get adopted, at least nine members need to vote in favour, in addition to no vetoes by the permanent members—the US, UK, China, Russia and France.
“The United States does not support action on this draft resolution. Should it come up for a vote as drafted, it will not be adopted,” Thomas-Greenfield says in a statement Saturday.
(With inputs from agencies)
