Netanyahu said that the final settlement would not be achieved “except through direct negotiations between the two sides, without preconditions” (Reuters)
The Israeli government unanimously approved a draft resolution not to recognize a unilateral Palestinian state, and its president, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that “Israel rejects international dictates” related to this file.
The resolution states that “a permanent settlement with the Palestinians will not be reached except through direct negotiations between the two parties, without preconditions.” It stressed that Israel “will continue its opposition to unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state,” and considered that “such recognition after the October 7 massacre will give a reward.” "It is a major threat to terrorism, and will prevent any peace settlement in the future."
The Israeli Prime Minister said that the approval of the new resolution comes after “what was reported in the international community about an attempt to impose a Palestinian state on Israel unilaterally.”
He pointed out that "Israel rejects explicit international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. Such an arrangement can only be reached through direct negotiations between the two sides, without preconditions."
In addition to the United States, European countries announced that they were considering recognizing an independent Palestinian state in a proactive step that would pave the way for the implementation of the two-state solution, but this was met with rejection from the highest political levels in Israel.
Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said that Israel prefers not to reach peace agreements with the Palestinian factions, if they would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
In turn, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that he would not agree in any way to a two-state solution, and considered that the Palestinian state “constitutes an existential threat to the State of Israel, as was proven on October 7,” in reference to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
For his part, Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir said that the world wants to give the Palestinians a state and that this will not happen, while Diaspora Minister Amichai Shekli stressed that Israel must resist the American plan and threaten to take unilateral steps such as canceling the Oslo Accords.
Since October 7, Israel has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, leaving tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe and massive destruction of infrastructure.
Source: Al Jazeera + agencies