Recent international decisions to formally recognize Palestinian statehood have sparked significant alarm and anger among Israeli officials. This mounting backlash is fueling concerns among Palestinians about potential governmental responses from Israel.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister, declared on Monday night that these developments necessitate ‘immediate countermeasures,’ explicitly calling for the annexation of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He announced plans to present a proposal to Israel’s cabinet in the coming days to apply ‘sovereignty’ over the West Bank. Furthermore, Ben-Gvir issued a stark threat to completely dismantle the Palestinian Authority, which currently manages certain areas of the territory.
*Image caption: Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, gesturing while speaking in January. He had previously stated that recognizing Palestinian statehood demanded “immediate countermeasures,” such as annexing the West Bank.*
This wave of diplomatic recognition gained momentum on Monday when several nations, including France, formally affirmed their recognition of Palestinian statehood during a high-level summit in New York, preceding the United Nations General Assembly. Currently, over 150 countries worldwide acknowledge a Palestinian state.
Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palestinian Authority, addressed the summit via video. He conveyed the authority’s intention to establish a Palestinian government encompassing both the West Bank and Gaza, explicitly stating that Hamas would be excluded from such a government. Denied a visa by the United States to attend the New York summit in person, Abbas spoke directly to the Israeli people, emphasizing, “Our future and yours depends on peace. Enough war.”
In the past week alone, approximately ten countries, including Britain, Canada, and Japan, have either recognized Palestine as a state or are expected to do so imminently. These diplomatic efforts intensify pressure on Israel amidst widespread global condemnation of its ongoing military campaign in Gaza.
However, many Palestinians view these recognitions largely as symbolic gestures, doubting their capacity to bring about tangible improvements in their daily lives. As international recognition has grown, Israel has repeatedly vowed against the creation of a Palestinian state, expanding restrictions in the West Bank and witnessing a sharp increase in settler violence.
Hope for a diplomatic resolution to the nearly two-year conflict in Gaza remains tragically low. The war has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties and left the territory devastated. It was initiated following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 people and led to 250 abductions. Last week, a United Nations commission investigating the conflict controversially stated that Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, an accusation Israel vehemently denies.
Israeli leadership has consistently rejected the formation of a Palestinian state, asserting their readiness to actively prevent it. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed this stance on Sunday, declaring in a statement, “A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River.”