Knesset rejects Palestinian statehood with absolute majority
Supporters of the Palestinian cause have had their long-held fears confirmed as Israeli lawmakers overwhelmingly backed a resolution to reject Palestinian statehood by a vote of 68-9 on July 18th, reports the New Arab and Middle East Eye.
The bill garnered support from both sides of the Knesset, with the resolution co-sponsored by groups in the governing coalition and opposition. The motion was primarily pushed by the extreme far right; however, it was also backed by members of the Knesset from Benny Gantz’s National Unity party, considered more ‘centrist’ by leaders in the West.
Yair Lapid, the opposition leader in the Yesh Atid bloc, left the assembly to abstain from voting. The only Knesset members to oppose the resolution were from the Labor, Palestinian Hadash-Ta’al, and Ra’am parties.
The resolution outrightly rejects the creation of a Palestinian state even as a part of a negotiated settlement – reaffirming a position held by many Israeli leaders such as Benjamin Netanyahu. The unilateral establishment of a Palestinian state was also rejected in a similar bill passed in February, passed by the Israeli leader.
“The Knesset of Israel firmly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state west of Jordan. The establishment of a Palestinian state in the heart of the Land of Israel will pose an existential danger to the State of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and destabilise the region,” the resolution stated.
“Promoting the idea of a Palestinian state at this time will be a reward for terrorism and will only encourage Hamas and its supporters to see this as a victory, thanks to the massacre of October 7th, 2023, and a prelude to the takeover of jihadist Islam in the Middle East.”
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Some political analysts view the move as putting more strain on Israeli relations with the West and allies who have been seeking a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The passed resolution comes into direct contradiction with statements released by Israel’s biggest allies: the United States and the United Kingdom. On July 17th, the Labour government stated in a bill announced in the King’s speech that reiterated the UK’s policy for a two-state solution. President Joe Biden has also repeated the U.S. support for the same solution in national addresses and statements to the UN.
With Netanyahu set to address Congress on July 24th, many Democrats are becoming increasingly uneasy with the Israeli Prime Minister’s conduct in the Gaza war, which has led the ICC to seek an arrest warrant against him.Leading Democrats such as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders have directed their criticism on Netanyahu whilst avoiding censure of the Israeli state. Some Democrats have stated their intention to boycott the Israeli Prime Minister’s address, whilst others remain keen to attend out of respect for an allied nation.
Netanyahu’s last address to Congress in 2015 led to 60 Democrats walking out of the meeting hall mid-speech out of protest; many more are expected to do the same in the upcoming address.
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Israel enjoys broad support from across the floor in Congress, with AIPAC set to spend the most ever on donations to political candidates supportive of the Middle Eastern nation in the 2024 US elections. Analysis provided by Politico found that AIPAC is proving to be the biggest source of Republican donations in contested Democrat primaries.
The approval of the bill to reject Palestinian statehood has been labelled as an “official declaration of the death of [the] Oslo Agreement” by Mustafa Barghouti, the secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative.
With Israel’s offensive into Gaza now reaching a death toll of 39,424 and more than 89,459 injured, settler expansion into the West Bank has also increased exponentially.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commented on July 17th regarding the situation across the Palestinian territories that “recent developments are driving a stake through the heart of any prospect for a two-state solution.”
“We must change course”, he added.
Middle East Eye / The New Arab and agencies
