Netanyahu condemns UK, Canada, Australia over recognition of Palestinian state

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unleashed a stern rebuke at Britain, Canada, and Australia, accusing them of “rewarding terror” after their decision to recognise a Palestinian state in the shadow of the devastating 7 October Hamas attack.

“There will be no Palestinian state,” Netanyahu declared, reiterating Israel’s longstanding opposition to Palestinian statehood west of the Jordan River. He warned that Israel’s response to the recognition would follow after his return from the United States.

Targeting the governments of the three countries, he said: “You are rewarding terror with an enormous prize. And I have another message for you: It’s not going to happen.” Netanyahu also highlighted his commitment to expanding Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, stating that Israel has “doubled the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria” and will continue on this path.

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar also condemned the move, calling it a “grave misstep” and describing it as “immoral, outrageous, and especially ugly,” particularly as Israel continues its military campaign against Hamas. He argued that the recognition, timed after 7 October, would be remembered as a reward for terrorism and an unjustified benefit to the Palestinian Authority.

Sa’ar further pointed to recent US sanctions against the Palestinian Authority, claiming the PA incentivises terror by paying stipends to convicted attackers. He acknowledged opposition within the recognising countries, stating, “We still have many friends in these countries who see this as a wrong and distorted move.”

Reaffirming Israel’s sovereignty, Sa’ar emphasised that a Palestinian state would never be established against Israel’s will: “Our future will not be determined in London or Paris. It will be determined in Jerusalem. We will continue to fight resolutely on the diplomatic front, and our friends, chiefly the United States, will stand by our side. The eternity of Israel will not lie elsewhere.”

The recognition by the UK, Canada, and Australia is part of a broader international push to revive momentum for a two-state solution, though it has drawn strong criticism from Israel and the United States.

With IANS inputs