Jerusalem on Sunday rejected a joint statement coordinated by the United States and signed by several countries, which called for a “pathway” – a possible route – to Palestinian self-determination and statehood. Several Israeli cabinet members emphasized that Israel would not permit a Palestinian state in either Judea and Samaria or the Gaza Strip.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated in Hebrew that Israel would “not agree to the establishment of a Palestinian terror state in the heart of the Land of Israel, in immediate proximity to all population centers and in topographical superiority over them.” He also noted that the Israel Defense Forces were currently working to dismantle three Iran-backed terror structures: Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and the Houthi movement in Yemen.
Defense Minister Israel Katz also reaffirmed on Sunday that the government’s policy was clear: “A Palestinian state will not emerge.” Gaza would be fully demilitarized, “down to the last tunnel,” and Hamas would be disarmed – in the so-called “yellow area” by the IDF, and in the territory of the former Gaza Strip either by an international stabilization force or by the Israeli army itself. The “yellow area” encompasses slightly more than half of the Gaza Strip’s territory, from which the IDF had withdrawn under the US-brokered ceasefire. Additionally, Katz announced that Israeli soldiers would continue to be stationed on the Hermon and in the security zone in Syria to secure Israel’s northern border following the fall of the Assad regime at the end of 2024.
The joint statement had been published on Friday at the initiative of the United States. Eight countries – Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, and Turkey – supported the US proposal for an international stabilization force in the Gaza Strip. The process, the text stated, “offers a pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.” The wording went beyond the 20-point peace plan of US President Donald Trump, which Jerusalem had already approved, as it no longer left the question of statehood open.
The President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, welcomed the statement and said it confirmed “the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and to the establishment of the independent state of Palestine.”
In Israel, the statement provoked sharp reactions within the government. On Saturday evening, leading right-wing coalition partners urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to make it unequivocally clear that Jerusalem would not accept a Palestinian state. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich recalled that Netanyahu had promised a “decisive response” following the unilateral recognition of “Palestine” by several countries led by France on September 21. Two months later, however, there had been only “silence,” making the situation now “dangerous.”
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also stated that he would not remain in any government that tacitly agreed to such a development. He called on the Prime Minister to clearly state that Israel “will not allow the establishment of a Palestinian state in any form.” In his post, he also reiterated his well-known position on the identity of the Palestinians and the future of the Gaza Strip.
Last year, the Knesset rejected unilateral international recognition of a Palestinian state by a vote of 99 to 11. Both the coalition and large parts of the opposition spoke out against “international dictates for a final settlement with the Palestinians.” In July, a majority of 71 lawmakers voted in favor of a non-binding resolution supporting the application of Israeli sovereignty in Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley. Additionally, the Knesset approved in a preliminary reading last month two bills providing for the formal annexation of certain areas in Judea and Samaria. The proposals were referred to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee for further deliberation.
Want more news from Israel?
Click Here to sign up for our FREE daily email updates
