The Israeli Government has formalized its opposition to any “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state after several countries have once again publicly requested it and the United States, its great ally, may not rule it out for the first time in the day after – it seems never come – from the war between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas that began on October 7.
“Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. “Such recognition after the massacre of October 7 would be a huge and unprecedented reward for terrorism and would prevent any future peace agreement,” reads the second and last point of the brief “declarative decision” that Benjamin Netanyahu's Government approved this Sunday by unanimity. Shortly before, Netanyahu confirmed his intention to vote on the decision – not included in the agenda of the Council of Ministers meeting in Jerusalem – citing “the comments recently heard in the international community about the attempt to unilaterally impose a Palestinian State”.
The text of the symbolic resolution begins by detailing the outright rejection of “international dictates on a permanent agreement with the Palestinians.”. If an agreement is reached, it will be achieved only through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions.”
The declaration – also supported by centrist leader Benny Gantz who joined the coalition formed more than a year ago by Netanyahu's Likud, two ultra-Orthodox parties and two other ultra-nationalists – makes official the opposition of both the right and the left in Israel. to unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. The resolution does not include opposition to the creation of a Palestinian State but in the Government there is an overwhelming majority against the demand of the Palestinian leadership (represented in President Abu Mazen) and the international community for a State with East Jerusalem as its capital.. The formula of two
States would also entail the evacuation of Israeli settlements in the territory occupied in the '67 war. In Israel, the largest terrorist attack suffered in its history has increased fear from a security point of view of the creation of a Palestinian State “a few kilometers from Tel Aviv”.
“The full membership of the State of Palestine in the UN and its recognition by countries does not require a license from Netanyahu,” reacted the Palestinian Foreign Ministry based in Ramallah (West Bank) while Abu Mazen's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeina , warned that “without the State of Palestine having full membership in the UN and without achieving its independence on Palestinian land with East Jerusalem as its capital, the region will remain in constant turmoil with endless wars”.
The timing of the Israeli declaration against the internationalization of the solution to the conflict is not coincidental. A few days ago, the Washington Post revealed that the US, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Palestinian representatives are working on a plan that includes the creation of a Palestinian State.. If confirmed, it would be a change in Washington's official position – challenged only in Donald Trump's mandate – in favor of an independent Palestinian state but as a result of direct talks between the parties.
The most urgent objective of the Biden Administration is a truce between Israel and Hamas with the exchange of Israelis (some also with American nationality) kidnapped on October 7 and still in captivity in the Gaza Strip for Palestinian prisoners and the increase in humanitarian aid for Gazans before the start of Ramadan in less than a month.
Once a ceasefire of at least six weeks has been achieved, the US would present its ambitious plan that includes the return of a reformed Palestinian Authority in the government and control of the Gaza Strip in place of Hamas, the costly reconstruction of this Palestinian enclave after the devastating military offensive and the creation of a Palestinian State with security guarantees for the Israelis.
The “candy” that Israel would receive would be the normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia. The rapprochement between the Jewish State and the great Arab and Muslim power under the impulse of the Abraham Accords (2020) was seriously affected but not sentenced last October 7 with the lethal jihadist attack that unleashed the war that this Sunday came to an end. 135 days.
At the Security Conference in Munich, the North American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, referred to the two main pillars of his vision of the day after the intense war: “Almost all Arab countries want to normalize their relations with Israel. “It is an extraordinary opportunity (…) Measures must continue to be adopted for a Palestinian State that can live safely alongside Israel.”
“The normalization process with Saudi Arabia is an important effort that we must continue, and I personally work to promote it. This step can be part of the solution as long as Israel's military superiority in the region is maintained,” Gantz declared, calling for “a regional architecture against the Iranian axis.”. However, he has warned of the timing of the initiative: “I would like to emphasize to our friends around the world that, after the massacre of October 7, unilateral actions such as the recognition of a Palestinian State are not the path to regional stability. “.
Finally, Gantz has sent an ultimatum to Hamas to make its positions more flexible in the negotiation for the truce and the release of the 134 hostages (31 were declared dead): “The world must know, and the leaders of Hamas must know that, if our kidnapped people are not at home in Ramadan, the fighting (offensive) will continue and will also expand to Rafah. “We will do so in a coordinated manner and allow for the evacuation of civilians while engaging in dialogue with our American and Egyptian partners to avoid harm to uninvolved civilians.”.
Israel's strategic allies such as the US, Germany and France have shown their firm opposition to a ground operation in Rafah, as was done in northern Gaza or as has been done for days in southern Khan Yunis, without taking into account the protection and basic services of its civilian population. In this area bordering Egypt, around 1.4 million people found their last refuge fleeing attacks and fighting. Among them, more than a million are internally displaced.