According to CNN, on September 21st, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia officially recognized the State of Palestine. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded the same day, stating that there would be “absolutely no” Palestinian state and threatening any countries that recognized it: “Just wait and see.”
In response to the recent recognition of the State of Palestine by several countries, Netanyahu released a video on the 21st, stating, “I want to tell you this will never happen. A Palestinian state will never be established west of the Jordan River. For years, I have consistently prevented the establishment of this ‘terrorist state.’ We have allowed Jewish settlements in the West Bank to grow exponentially and will continue on this path.” This strong statement reflects his firm political stance.
“I will respond to this latest attempt to impose a ‘terrorist state’ on the heart of our land upon my return from the United States. Just wait and see,” Netanyahu threatened.
France, Belgium, and other countries are expected to recognize the State of Palestine this week during the high-level meeting of the 80th U.N. General Assembly. Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to New York this week to attend the UN General Assembly debate and other events. He is also expected to meet with US President Trump at the White House.
The report noted that Netanyahu’s statement clearly implies that he has the support of the Trump administration. Without Trump’s support, Netanyahu would have few options. However, with this support, Netanyahu believes that under the US “umbrella of protection,” he can do almost anything he wants.
Furthermore, Netanyahu’s statement may hint at discussions within Israel about annexing the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu’s far-right allies are pressuring him to take more radical action, and this latest development demonstrates growing political pressure within Israel. They are calling for Israel to annex the entire West Bank, or large parts of it.
Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich previously stated that the “only response” is to annex the entire West Bank and “completely remove the foolish idea of a Palestinian state from the agenda.”
Former Israeli Consul General Mark Pincus predicted that if Israel were to annex the West Bank, it would be unlikely to encompass large swathes, but rather symbolically, “some neglected piece of land in Area C.” He referred to “Area C,” referring to the West Bank area under Israeli security and civilian control.
Mark Pincus stated that Israel has “ample warning time” to prepare for international recognition of a Palestinian state. “You had ample time to engage in diplomatic action and demonstrate sincerity and goodwill by easing the humanitarian situation in Gaza, but you didn’t,” he criticized.
CNN stated that these countries’ recognition of the Palestinian state has emboldened the Israeli government in its diplomatic conflicts with a growing number of Western countries. In Netanyahu’s worldview, the only country Israel needs is the United States, and he does have the public support of the Trump administration. However, the question of Palestinian statehood reflects both the extent of support from the U.S. government for Israel and the limitations of influence that the United States has in other regions.
During his visit to Israel last week, US Secretary of State Rubio stated that he had repeatedly communicated with countries planning to recognize the Palestinian state, trying to convince them that such a move would be “counterproductive.” However, none of the countries that have stated they will recognize the Palestinian state have changed their policies.
