• 99 MKs out of 120 have voted against the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state
• Contradicting the US and UK calls for a two-state solution without any real sign of pressure from either country
A symbolic declaration brought forward by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset on Wednesday, opposing any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, has passed. A majority of 99 Members of the Knesset’s (MK’s) have voted in favour of Netanyahu’s motion, voting for the opposition against recognition of a Palestinian state.
Netanyahu brought the vote to the Knesset after reports that the US and several Arab partners were preparing for a detailed peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians that is said to include a ‘firm timeline’ for a Palestinian state. The Palestinian Authority had said in response to the vote, “The ministry reaffirms that the State of Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations and its recognition by other nations does not require permission from Netanyahu.” Indicating that they believe that the recognition of the Palestinian states does not need Israel’s consent or collaboration. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that without the support and cooperation of Israel in respecting Palestinian territories and sovereign land as well as removing illegal settlements from the occupied West Bank, it becomes impossible for a Palestinian state to be achieved. The vote in the Knesset highlights the general populus view of the majority Israeli opinion. According to a survey conducted from March to April last year, before the October 7 attacks, only 35% of Israelis believed that there was a way for Israel and a Palestinian state to coexist peacefully. Since October 7, that percentage has likely dropped dramatically. This indicates that the colonial ambitions of Israel’s elites are prevalent in the majority of its population and that Israel does not believe a Palestinian state has the right to exist. If the majority of the civilian population, who already think that the genocide in Gaza should continue, also thinks that the Palestinian people should not have the right to self-determination, yet they themselves do, then it becomes apparent to us that Israel is indeed a pro-genocidal, extremist, Supremacy-driven nation. Israel’s qualities make it lie far within the spectrum of a ‘terror nation’ with the current opinions and power held by the masses through its democratic system.
US rhetoric without action
Although it’s true there has been a nuanced change in American tone when it comes to the genocide Israel has been carrying out in Gaza with the US for the first time, mentioning the term ‘ceasefire’ in the draft in the United Nations for the upcoming motion they are soon to put forward, the question of illegal settlements and a two-state solution has not had any real pressure pushed forward by the US on Israel as of yet. It is true that the US rhetoric against illegal settlements in the West Bank started far before the calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, but in terms of legally binding motions in the UN or the threat of sanctions being used against Israel, there has been no real action taken from the American side to pressure Israel into accepting a two-state solution. This current vote brought by Netanyahu to the Knesset on Wednesday highlights Netanyahu’s and Israel’s continuous opposition and unwillingness to budge on the matter of a Palestinian state, even amongst US and UK rhetoric. All in all, this outlines the West’s carelessness and ineptitude in helping in the establishment of a Palestinian state.
