Defense Minister Israel Katz rules out a Palestinian state, says IDF will stay in key areas, and Gaza will be fully demilitarized.
Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that Israel would not agree to the establishment of a Palestinian state and that the IDF would maintain its presence in strategic zones.
“Israel’s policy is clear: there will not be a Palestinian state. The IDF will remain on Mount Hermon and in the security zone. Gaza will be demilitarized down to the last tunnel, and Hamas will be disarmed in the yellow area by the IDF and in old Gaza by the international force, or by the IDF,” Katz said.
I have a few questions for the foreign governments that approved “
A Palestinian State for Hamas” (Review & Outlook, Sept. 23). What is its capital city? Can Christians and Jews freely practice their religion there? Can women divorce, own property, vote, run for office, get abortions? Will elections be regularly held? Will gay marriage be allowed? Finally, do all citizens of the “state” have the right to kidnap, rape, torture and murder Jews?
The Jewish people are celebrating the New Year of 5786—many of them, living in the state their foes want to wipe off the map. Meanwhile, Hamas refuses to release hostages kidnapped almost two years ago. Useful idiots in the U.K., Australia, France and elsewhere reward them for their intransigence. Recognition of this supposed state is an affront to decency, morality and common sense.
Four of America’s nominally closest allies — Britain, Australia, France and Canada — disgraced themselves this week by recognizing a so-called Palestinian state. In so doing, these nations didn’t merely betray their Western civilizational inheritance. They also rewarded terrorism, strengthened the genocidal ambitions of the global jihad and sent a chilling message: The path to international legitimacy runs not through the difficult work of building up a nation-state and engaging in diplomacy, but through mass murder, the weaponization of transnational institutions and the erasure of historical truth.
The Trump administration has already denounced this craven capitulation by our allies. There should be no recognition of an independent Palestinian state at this moment in history. Such a recognition is an abdication not only of basic human decency, but also of national interest and strategic sanity.
The global march toward recognition of an independent Palestinian state ignores decades of brutal facts on the ground as well as the specific tide of blood behind this latest surge. It was less than two years ago — Oct. 7, 2023 — that Hamas launched the most barbaric anti-Jewish pogrom since the Holocaust: 6,000 terrorists poured into Israel, massacring roughly 1,200 innocent people in acts of unconscionable depravity — systematic rape, torture, kidnapping of babies. The terrorists livestreamed their own atrocities and dragged more than 250 hostages back to Gaza’s sprawling subterranean terror dungeons, where dozens remain to this day.
Many gullible liberal elites wish to believe that the radical jihadists of Hamas do not represent the broader Palestinian-Arab population, but that is a lie. Polls consistently show — and anecdotal videos of large street crowds consistently demonstrate — that Hamas and like-minded jihadist groups maintain overwhelming popularity in both Gaza and Judea and Samaria (what the international community refers to as the West Bank). These groups deserve shame, scorn and diplomatic rebuke — not fawning sympathy and United Nations red carpets.
The “government” in Gaza is a theocratic, Iranian-backed terror entity whose founding charter drips with unrepentant Jew-hatred and whose leaders routinely celebrate the wanton slaughter of innocent Israelis as triumphs of “resistance.” Along with the kleptocratic Palestinian Authority dictatorship in Ramallah, this is who, and what, Group of 7 powers like Britain and France have decided to reward with an imprimatur of legitimate statehood.
There is no meaningful “peace partner,” and no “two-state” vision to be realized, amid this horrible reality. There is only a sick cult of violence, lavishly funded from Tehran and eager for widespread international recognition as a stepping stone toward the destruction of Israel — and the broader West for which Israel is a proxy.
For decades, Western leaders maintained a straightforward position: There can be no recognition of a Palestinian state outside of direct negotiations with Israel, full demilitarization and the unqualified acceptance of Israel’s right to exist in secure borders as a distinctly Jewish state. The move at the United Nations to recognize a Palestinian state torches that policy, declaring to the world that savagery and maximalist rejectionism are the currency of international legitimacy. By rewarding unilateralism and eschewing direct negotiation, these reckless Western governments have proved us international law skeptics right: The much-ballyhooed “peace process” agreements, such as the Oslo Accords of the 1990s, are not worth the paper they were written on.
In the wake of Oct. 7, these nations condemned the massacre, proclaimed solidarity with Israel and even briefly suspended funding for UNRWA, the U.N. aid group for the Palestinian territories, after agency employees were accused of participating in the attack. Yet, under the relentless drumbeat of anti-Israel activism and diplomatic cowardice, they have now chosen to rehabilitate the Palestinian-Arab nationalist cause — not after the leaders of the cause renounced terrorism, but while its most gruesome crimes remained unpunished, its hostages still languish in concentration camp-like squalor and its leaders still clamor for the annihilation of Israel.
Trump should clarify not only that America will not join in this dangerous, high-stakes charade, but also that there could very well be negative trade or diplomatic repercussions for countries that recognize an independent Palestinian terror state. The reason for such consequences would be simple: Undermining America’s strongest ally in the Middle East while simultaneously creating yet another new terror-friendly Islamist state directly harms the American national interest. There is no American national interest — none, zero — in the creation of a new Palestinian state in the heart of the Holy Land. On the contrary, as the Abraham Accords peace deals of 2020 proved, there is plenty of reason to embolden Israel. Contra liberal elites, it is this bolstering of Israel that fosters genuine regional peace.
The world must know: In the face of evil, America does not flinch, does not equivocate and does not reward those who murder our friends and threaten the Judeo-Christian West. As long as the Jewish state stands on the front lines of civilization, the United States must remain at its side, unwavering, unbowed and unashamed. Basic human decency and the American national interest both require nothing less.
Josh Hammer’s latest book is “Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West.” This article was produced in collaboration with Creators Syndicate. X: @josh_hammer
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A coalition of peace activist groups launched a new campaign, advocating for a peaceful end to the Israel-Hamas War.
The “It’s Time Coalition,” a collection of over 60 Israeli and Arab pro-two-state solution organizations, began a campaign on Sunday calling for the recognition of a Palestinian state and an end to the Israel-Hamas War.
The coalition described itself as the largest peace initiative in Israel.
Activists from the “It’s Time Coalition” call for recognition of a Palestinian state, September 21, 2025. (credit: COURTESY IT’S TIME COALITION)
The center of the campaign is a two-minute video featuring members of the participating organizations sharing their hopes for peace and urging the Israeli government to accept a two-state solution as suggested at a United Nations conference in July.
Decrying claims that recognition of a Palestinian state would reward Hamas for the October 7 massacre, the activists state that they believe that “the states partaking in this initiative are on our side,” as the UN resolution calls for an immediate end to the war and thus an end to the “sacrifice of soldier,” “destruction of a people,” and “abandonment” of the 48 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza.
Coalition activists regard the proposed UN resolution as “a historic opportunity to move from death to life, from stagnation to progress to a future of security and freedom for both people.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holds a press conferene at the Prime Minister’s office in Jerursalem, September 16, 2025. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
In one section of the video, it is stated that “I will not concede to living in Sparta or in Super-Sparta,” a direct reference to a recent speech given by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The speech was criticized by many as “isolationist.”
The featured group of activists expressed their desire to work together, across cultural and religious differences, to create a “different reality of peace, security, compassion, and justice,” asserting that “it’s time” to bring about an end to the almost two year war.
The terror organization called the recognition “a deserved outcome of our people’s struggle” and added that it would lead Western countries to isolate Israel.
Hamas lauded the recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Kingdom, Canada, Portugal, and Australia in a Sunday statement, calling the move “an important step.”
“This recognition is an important step in maintaining the right of our Palestinian people to their land and holy sites, and to establishing their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital,” Hamas stated.
The terror organization continued, saying it was “a deserved outcome of our people’s struggle” and that a stop to Israel’s war against it, which it labeled a “brutal genocide” in Gaza, must follow the declaration.
Hamas also called on the international community to “confront the annexation and Judaization plans in the West Bank and Jerusalem,” isolate the Jewish state, and take “punitive measures” against it.
Palestinian Hamas terrorists. February 22, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled)
Western nations recognize Palestine
Other nations, including France, are expected to follow the lead of the UK, Australia, and Canada in recognizing a Palestinian state.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that recognizing a Palestinian state would isolate Hamas in an interview with N12.
“Recognizing a Palestinian state is just deciding to say, ‘The legitimate perspective of Palestinian people and what they suffer today has nothing to do with Hamas,’” Macron said, adding, “Recognition of a Palestinian state is the best way to isolate Hamas.”
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed what he called a historic agreement on science and technology with Britain as United Kingdom officials who have gone all out to impress him with royal pageantry during his state visit now try to deliver key trade and business deals that can further their country’s interests.Watch a livestream of a press conference between Trump and Starmer in the video player above.Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a roundtable with business leaders as they signed the deal. They also had private meetings where the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and tariff rates the U.S. may set on steel imported from Britain were expected to be discussed. A joint news conference was coming up.At the signing ceremony for an agreement meant to promote tech investment in both nations, Starmer referred to the American president as “my friend, our friend” and spoke of “leaders who respect each other and leaders who genuinely like each other.” The event took place at Chequers, a 16th-century manor house northwest of London that serves as a rural retreat for British leaders.The British charm offensive continued after King Charles III and Queen Camilla had feted Trump and first lady Melania Trump at Windsor Castle, on Wednesday. The royals used the first of the Trump’s two-day state visit to offer all the pomp the monarchy can muster: gold-trimmed carriages, scarlet-clad soldiers, artillery salutes, a glittering banquet in a grand ceremonial hall and the biggest military honor guard ever assembled for such a state visit.Trump has seemed grateful for all the attention — so much so that he has largely stuck to script and offered little of his typical off-the-cuff criticism of hosts.Still, he had his moments. Trump joked with his treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, and commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, as he signed the tech deal, “Should I sign this Howard? Scott? If the deal’s no good I’m blaming you.”After bidding goodbye to the king and queen at Windsor — Trump called the monarch “a great gentleman, and a great king” — the Trumps flew by helicopter some 20 miles (32 kilometers) to Chequers. The Republican president was welcomed by ceremonial honor guard complete with bagpipers — a nod to Trump’s Scottish heritage — and shown items from the archive of wartime leader Winston Churchill, who coined the term “special relationship” for the bond between the allies.It’s a point that Trump’s British hosts have stressed, almost 250 years after that relationship endured a rocky start in 1776.Trump told business leaders at a reception at Chequers that the two countries shared an “unbreakable bond.” Starmer said that relationship “is the very foundation of our security, our freedom and our prosperity.”Trans-Atlantic tech partnershipTo coincide with the visit, Britain said U.S. companies had pledged 150 billion pounds ($204 billion) in investment in the U.K, including 90 billion pounds ($122 billion) from investment firm Blackstone in the next decade. Investment will also flow the other way, including almost $30 billion by pharmaceutical firm GSK in the U.S.At the reception, attended by tech bosses including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and U.S. officials such as Lutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Starmer said it was “the biggest investment package of its kind in British history by a country mile.”U.K. officials say the deal will bring thousands of jobs and billions in investment in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and nuclear energy. It includes a U.K. arm of Stargate, a Trump-backed AI infrastructure project led by OpenAI, and a host of AI data centers around the U.K. American companies are announcing 31 billion pounds ($42 billion) in investment in the U.K.’s AI sector, including $30 billion from Microsoft for protects including Britain’s largest supercomputer.British officials say they have not agreed to scrap a digital services tax or water down internet regulation to get the deal, some details of which have yet to be announced.The British government is learning that when it comes to deals with Trump’s team, the devil is in the details. In May, Starmer and Trump struck a trade agreement that reduced U.S. tariffs on Britain’s key auto and aerospace industries.But talks on slashing duties on steel and aluminum to zero from their current level of 25% have stalled, despite a promise in May that the issue would be settled within weeks.The British Chambers of Commerce said failure to cut the tariffs would be “greeted with dismay” by the British steel industry.Difficult discussions on Ukraine, Middle EastIn the private talks, difficult conversations were expected about Ukraine and the Middle East.The British government has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza and the suffering of Palestinian civilians, calling Israel’s latest Gaza City offensive “utterly reckless and appalling.” Starmer has said the U.K. will formally recognize a Palestinian state this month, potentially within days. Trump has threatened to penalize Canada during trade negotiations for making a similar move.Starmer also has played a major part in European efforts to shore up U.S. support for Ukraine. Trump has expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin but has not made good on threats to impose new sanctions on Russia for shunning peace negotiations. On Tuesday, Trump appeared to put the onus on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying, “He’s going to have to make a deal.”The king gave Trump a gentle nudge in his state banquet speech on the strength of the trans-Atlantic relationship. Charles noted that “as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine, to deter aggression and secure peace.”Potentially awkward Epstein questionsStarmer will be bracing for awkward questions from the media about Jeffrey Epstein. Days before the state visit, Starmer fired Britain’s ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, over the envoy’s past friendship with the convicted sex offender, who authorities say killed himself in 2019.Fourteen months after winning a landslide election victory, Starmer’s government is struggling to kickstart Britain’s sluggish economy and his Labour Party is lagging in the polls. Starmer wants a successful state visit to balance weeks of bad news.Leslie Vinjamuri, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, said Trump’s trip was likely to be “a difficult visit for the prime minister, much more so than for the U.S. president.”For Trump, “this plays well at home, it plays well abroad. It’s almost entirely to President Trump’s advantage to turn up to Britain and be celebrated by the British establishment,” she said.
AYLESBURY, England —
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed what he called a historic agreement on science and technology with Britain as United Kingdom officials who have gone all out to impress him with royal pageantry during his state visit now try to deliver key trade and business deals that can further their country’s interests.
Watch a livestream of a press conference between Trump and Starmer in the video player above.
Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer held a roundtable with business leaders as they signed the deal. They also had private meetings where the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and tariff rates the U.S. may set on steel imported from Britain were expected to be discussed. A joint news conference was coming up.
At the signing ceremony for an agreement meant to promote tech investment in both nations, Starmer referred to the American president as “my friend, our friend” and spoke of “leaders who respect each other and leaders who genuinely like each other.” The event took place at Chequers, a 16th-century manor house northwest of London that serves as a rural retreat for British leaders.
The British charm offensive continued after King Charles III and Queen Camilla had feted Trump and first lady Melania Trump at Windsor Castle, on Wednesday. The royals used the first of the Trump’s two-day state visit to offer all the pomp the monarchy can muster: gold-trimmed carriages, scarlet-clad soldiers, artillery salutes, a glittering banquet in a grand ceremonial hall and the biggest military honor guard ever assembled for such a state visit.
Trump has seemed grateful for all the attention — so much so that he has largely stuck to script and offered little of his typical off-the-cuff criticism of hosts.
Still, he had his moments. Trump joked with his treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, and commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, as he signed the tech deal, “Should I sign this Howard? Scott? If the deal’s no good I’m blaming you.”
After bidding goodbye to the king and queen at Windsor — Trump called the monarch “a great gentleman, and a great king” — the Trumps flew by helicopter some 20 miles (32 kilometers) to Chequers. The Republican president was welcomed by ceremonial honor guard complete with bagpipers — a nod to Trump’s Scottish heritage — and shown items from the archive of wartime leader Winston Churchill, who coined the term “special relationship” for the bond between the allies.
It’s a point that Trump’s British hosts have stressed, almost 250 years after that relationship endured a rocky start in 1776.
Trump told business leaders at a reception at Chequers that the two countries shared an “unbreakable bond.” Starmer said that relationship “is the very foundation of our security, our freedom and our prosperity.”
Trans-Atlantic tech partnership
To coincide with the visit, Britain said U.S. companies had pledged 150 billion pounds ($204 billion) in investment in the U.K, including 90 billion pounds ($122 billion) from investment firm Blackstone in the next decade. Investment will also flow the other way, including almost $30 billion by pharmaceutical firm GSK in the U.S.
At the reception, attended by tech bosses including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and U.S. officials such as Lutnick and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Starmer said it was “the biggest investment package of its kind in British history by a country mile.”
U.K. officials say the deal will bring thousands of jobs and billions in investment in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and nuclear energy. It includes a U.K. arm of Stargate, a Trump-backed AI infrastructure project led by OpenAI, and a host of AI data centers around the U.K. American companies are announcing 31 billion pounds ($42 billion) in investment in the U.K.’s AI sector, including $30 billion from Microsoft for protects including Britain’s largest supercomputer.
British officials say they have not agreed to scrap a digital services tax or water down internet regulation to get the deal, some details of which have yet to be announced.
The British government is learning that when it comes to deals with Trump’s team, the devil is in the details. In May, Starmer and Trump struck a trade agreement that reduced U.S. tariffs on Britain’s key auto and aerospace industries.
But talks on slashing duties on steel and aluminum to zero from their current level of 25% have stalled, despite a promise in May that the issue would be settled within weeks.
The British Chambers of Commerce said failure to cut the tariffs would be “greeted with dismay” by the British steel industry.
Difficult discussions on Ukraine, Middle East
In the private talks, difficult conversations were expected about Ukraine and the Middle East.
The British government has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza and the suffering of Palestinian civilians, calling Israel’s latest Gaza City offensive “utterly reckless and appalling.” Starmer has said the U.K. will formally recognize a Palestinian state this month, potentially within days. Trump has threatened to penalize Canada during trade negotiations for making a similar move.
Starmer also has played a major part in European efforts to shore up U.S. support for Ukraine. Trump has expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin but has not made good on threats to impose new sanctions on Russia for shunning peace negotiations. On Tuesday, Trump appeared to put the onus on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying, “He’s going to have to make a deal.”
The king gave Trump a gentle nudge in his state banquet speech on the strength of the trans-Atlantic relationship. Charles noted that “as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine, to deter aggression and secure peace.”
Potentially awkward Epstein questions
Starmer will be bracing for awkward questions from the media about Jeffrey Epstein. Days before the state visit, Starmer fired Britain’s ambassador to the U.S., Peter Mandelson, over the envoy’s past friendship with the convicted sex offender, who authorities say killed himself in 2019.
Fourteen months after winning a landslide election victory, Starmer’s government is struggling to kickstart Britain’s sluggish economy and his Labour Party is lagging in the polls. Starmer wants a successful state visit to balance weeks of bad news.
Leslie Vinjamuri, president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, said Trump’s trip was likely to be “a difficult visit for the prime minister, much more so than for the U.S. president.”
For Trump, “this plays well at home, it plays well abroad. It’s almost entirely to President Trump’s advantage to turn up to Britain and be celebrated by the British establishment,” she said.
Israel has cancelled a potential visit by France’s President Emmanuel Macron because Paris plans to recognize a Palestinian state, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said in a phone call with his French counterpart Jean-Noël Barrot on Thursday.
His ministry said that Sa’ar urged Barrot to reconsider the initiative to recognize a Palestinian state, saying the French proposal undermines stability in the Middle East and threatens Israel’s national and security interests.
He said as long as Paris persists in its initiative and efforts that harm Israel’s interests, there is no room for Macron’s visit to Israel.
Official plans for a possible Macron visit to Israel were not known.
He accused France of having taken “a series of anti-Israeli steps and positions” recently.
Several countries including France, Canada and Australia plan to recognize a Palestinian state in September.
Macron announced Paris’ plans in July. The Israeli government responded with sharp condemnation.
He told the American newspaper that he rejoined the Netanyahu government because he believes that differences in Israeli politics will be insignificant in the future.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar told the Wall Street Journal in a Tuesday interview that Israel is facing a multi-front war on the battle lines and in the political arena.
“Today, the challenges are not only military. They are also political, and those who worked to impose a military siege on Israel are now working to impose a political siege,” he told the WSJ.
He told the American newspaper that he rejoined the Netanyahu government because he believes that differences in Israeli politics will be insignificant in the future.
“The differences between Israel’s Zionist parties today will be viewed historically as insignificant and marginal in comparison to the challenges we are facing,” Sa’ar said, adding that he came to this realization after October 7.
He is now aiming to try and “change things from the inside” and rejoined the Likud party this month.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar at a briefing with the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. (credit: Ohad Kav)
“I’m still in the government, even when I sometimes have disputes,” he said.
He went on to discuss how several European nations’ pending recognition of a Palestinian state affected negotiations and the IDF’s Gaza City Operation.
“When Hamas praises you, as it did with [Emmanuel] Macron, it speaks for itself,” he said, adding that he didn’t understand why the need to recognize a Palestinian state suddenly arose.
“In the beginning, it was supposed to be under certain conditions,” such as recognizing Israel and making peace. Now, Sa’ar says he thinks that “all conditions were forgotten.”
He sees this as a victory for Hamas.
“Hamas said recognition is the fruit of October 7,” Saar noted.
Europe “cannot understand that the Palestinians—all the factions—their ideology is to eliminate the Jewish state,” Saar said.
Talking about ‘two-state solution’
“It’s a nice term, ‘two-state solution.’ First of all, you have a solution. But when you ask, ‘Do you want a terror state?’ it becomes a different conversation.”
He added that the growing Muslim communities in Europe affected the calls to recognize a Palestinian state.
“Europe today has huge Muslim communities. There are already cells of radical Islam there. It has an effect.”
The minister goes on to discuss the Gaza Strip, saying that “the real aid situation has improved dramatically.” Describing the aid being given to Gazans as not “humanitarian,” but “political.”
The minister also says that Israel’s global reputation in regards to its strength was restored since October 7, saying that “we changed the entire strategic equation in the Middle East.”
Also regarding Israel’s global image, Sa’ar said that the country will not “risk real interests for a temporary period of quiet and better PR.
“We need to survive first. After that, there comes popularity and how much we can convince others around the world.”
The United Kingdom, Australia and Japan are among 21 countries that have condemned Israel’s plans to build a controversial illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank, which they say renders a future two-state solution for Palestinians impossible.
“We condemn this decision and call for its immediate reversal in the strongest terms,” the 21 countries said in a joint statement on Thursday, describing Israel’s construction plans as a “violation of international law”.
The statement follows news this week that Israel will formally move forward with a settlement on a 12-square-kilometre (4.6-square-mile) tract of land east of Jerusalem known as “East 1” or “E1”.
The development, which will include 3,400 new homes for Israeli settlers, will cut off much of the occupied West Bank from occupied East Jerusalem while also linking up thousands of illegal Israeli settlements in the area.
East Jerusalem carries particular significance to Palestinians as the top choice for the capital of a future Palestinian state.
The group of 21 nations said any plans for a two-state solution will become impossible “by dividing any Palestinian state and restricting Palestinian access to Jerusalem”.
The group includes Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
The illegal settlement also “risks undermining security and fuels further violence and instability, taking us further away from peace”, the group said, while bringing “no benefits to the Israeli people”.
The Palestinian Authority, the European Commission and United Nations chief Antonio Guterres have all voiced opposition to plans for the E1 settlement since Israel first announced the news last week.
“Coupled with ongoing settler violence and military operations, these unilateral decisions are fuelling an already tense situation on the ground and further eroding any possibility for peace,” the European Union said in a statement on August 14.
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said settlements such as E1 will help erase Palestine from the map, even as Palestinian statehood gains increasing international recognition from UN member states.
“This reality finally buries the idea of a Palestinian state, because there is nothing to recognise and no one to recognise,” Smotrich said last week.
Norway, Ireland and Spain said Wednesday they are recognizing a Palestinian state in a historic move that drew condemnation from Israel and jubilation from the Palestinians. Israel immediately ordered back its ambassadors from Norway and Ireland and appeared ready to do the same with its ambassador to Spain.
The official recognition by the three nations of an independent Palestinian state will take effect on May 28, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told a news conference Wednesday, the Reuters news agency reports.
It was a lightning cascade of announcements. First was Norway, whose Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said “there cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition,” adding that, “By recognizing a Palestinian state, Norway supports the Arab peace plan.”
Several European Union countries have in the past weeks indicated that they plan to make the same move, arguing that a two-state solution is essential for lasting peace in the region. The decision may generate momentum for the recognition of a Palestinian state by other EU countries and could spur further steps at the United Nations, deepening Israel’s isolation.
Norway was first with its announcement
Norway, which isn’t a member of the European Union but mirror its moves, has been an ardent supporter of a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, right, next to Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, announces during a May 22, 2024 press conference in Oslo that Norway is recognizing Palestine as an independent state effective May 28.
ERIK FLAARIS JOHANSEN/NTB / AFP via Getty Images
“The terror has been committed by Hamas and militant groups who are not supporters of a two-state solution and the state of Israel,” the Norwegian government leader said. “Palestine has a fundamental right to an independent state.”
The move comes as Israeli forces have led assaults on the northern and southern edges of the Gaza Strip in May, causing a new exodus of hundreds of thousands of people, and sharply restricted the flow of aid, raising the risk of famine.
The Scandinavian country “will therefore regard Palestine as an independent state with all the rights and obligations that entails,” Gahr Støre said.
The development comes more than 30 years after the first Oslo accord was signed in 1993. Since then, “the Palestinians have taken important steps towards a two-state solution,” the Norwegian government said.
It said that the World Bank determined that a Palestinian state had met key criteria to function as a state in 2011, that national institutions have been built up to provide the population with important services.
“The war in Gaza and the constant expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank still mean that the situation in Palestine is more difficult than it has been in decades,” the Norwegian government said.
Ireland followed suit
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris also made his announcement Wednesday, saying it was a move coordinated with Spain and Norway, “an historic and important day for Ireland and for Palestine.” He said the move was intended to help move the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to resolution through a two-state solution.
Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris, center, flanked by Ireland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Michel Martin, right, and Ireland’s Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, delivers a speech during a May 22, 2024 press conference in Dublin that their nation is recognizing a Palestinian state effective May 28, 2024.
PAUL FAITH / AFP via Getty Images
Harris said he thinks other countries will join Norway, Spain and Ireland in recognizing a Palestinian state “in the weeks ahead.”
Spain joined in
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, his country’s Socialist leader since 2018, made the expected announcement to his nation’s Parliament on Wednesday.
He’s spent months touring European and Middle Eastern countries to garner support for the recognition of a Palestinian state, as well as a possible ceasefire in Gaza. He has said several times that he was committed to the move.
“We know that this initiative won’t bring back the past and the lives lost in Palestine, but we believe that it will give the Palestinians two things that are very important for their present and their future: dignity and hope,” Sánchez said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announcing in Madrid on May 22, 2024 that his country’s council of ministers would recognize an independent Palestinian state effective May 28, 2024.
Violeta Santos Moura / REUTERS
“This recognition is not against anyone, it is not against the Israeli people,” Sánchez added, while acknowledging that it will most likely cause diplomatic tensions with Tel Aviv. “It is an act in favor of peace, justice and moral consistency.”
Sánchez argued that the move is needed to support the viability of a two-state solution that he said “is in serious danger” with the war in Gaza.
“I have spent weeks and months speaking with leaders inside and outside of the region and if one thing is clear is that Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu does not have a project of peace for Palestine, even if the fight against the terrorist group Hamas is legitimate,” the Spanish leader said.
Earlier this month, Spain’s Foreign Minister José Albares said he had informed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken of his government’s intention to recognize a Palestinian state.
In response to the fast-moving developments, Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz ordered his country’s ambassadors from Ireland and Norway to immediately return to Israel, and earlier threatened to do the same with its ambassador to Spain if it took the same stand.
“Ireland and Norway intend to send a message today to the Palestinians and the whole world: terrorism pays,” Katz said.
He said that the recognition could impede efforts to return Israel’s hostages being held in Gaza and makes a cease-fire less likely by “rewarding the jihadists of Hamas and Iran.”
Reactions starting
A senior official of Hamas, which is embroiled in the war with Israel in Gaza, said Wednesday the “brave resistance” of the Palestinian people spurred Norway, Ireland and Spain to recognize a Palestinian state, Agence France-Press reports.
“These successive recognitions are the direct result of this brave resistance and the legendary steadfastness of the Palestinian people. … We believe this will be a turning point in the international position on the Palestinian issue,” Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas political bureau member, told AFP.
The Palestine Liberation Organization, seen worldwide as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, called the moves by Norway, Ireland and Spain “historical moments in which the free world triumphs for truth and justice,” according to AFP, citing a post on X from Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary general of the PLO executive committee.
Meanwhile, Israel’s far right national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, visited Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa Mosque compound, declaring the contested holy site belongs “only to the state of Israel.”
Ben-Gvir said the visit was a response to the move by Norway, Ireland and Spain. “We will not even allow a statement about a Palestinian state,” he said.
The hilltop compound is revered by Jews and Muslims, and the conflicting claims have led to numerous rounds of violence in the past.
Israel allows Jews to visit the compound, but not to pray there. But the visit is likely to be seen around the world as a provocation.
