The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has promised to take strong measures against a growing number of countries that recognize a Palestinian state, declaring that such move a threat to Israel’s existence.
Speaking at a weekly meeting of the Cabinet on Sunday, Netanyahu said that Israel would fight at the United Nations and other global platforms against what he described as “defamatory propaganda” and efforts to promote a Palestinian state, which argued that “they would endanger our existence and constitute an absurd prize for terrorism.”
The Israeli leader hinted that his government’s response would be molded after his next meeting with the president of the United States, Donald Trump, emphasizing that with Washington’s support, Israel has a wide space to maneuver diplomatic and politically.
Netanyahu also revealed that the Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank doubled under their leadership and promised that the expansion would continue, despite the fact that international law considers them illegal.
Its extreme right allies are pressing for harder measures, including the annexation of large parts of the West Bank. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described annexation as the “only response”, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said he would present a proposal to apply complete Israeli sovereignty and dismantle the Palestinian authority.
The latest tensions follow the recognition of a Palestinian State by countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, they long considered allies close to Israel.
Instead of softening Israel’s position, the movement has fed the most aggressive calls within the Netanyahu coalition to reject any path to Palestinian independence.
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Although the Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, revealed that he tried to deter those nations of recognizing Palestine, none changed his position.
The former Israeli diplomat, Alon Pinkas, predicted that Netanyahu can seek only a “symbolic annexation” in limited areas of the West Bank, but criticized the government for losing the opportunity to launch a diplomatic campaign or relieve humanitarian conditions in Gaza to soften the international opposition.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, accused Netanyahu of sinking Israel in his “most severe diplomatic crisis in history”, blaming his government for both the current war and for the global reaction.
(CNN)
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