THE Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Thursday night 2/15/2024 any international recognition of a Palestinian state outside the context of direct peacekeeping negotiations between Israel and the Palestiniansarguing that any such initiative would “offer a huge payoff to terrorism.”
Two influential far-right Israeli government ministers, Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrichalready rejected the draft terms about it, which was reported by the American newspaper Washington Post.
The report said the US, Israel’s main ally, and Arab countries close to Washington are drawing up a comprehensive plan for lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians after the Israel/Hamas war ends.
“Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Any such recognition, after the October 7 massacre, would offer a huge reward to unprecedented terrorism and prevent any future peace agreement,” Mr. Netanyahu stressed in Hebrew via X (the former Twitter).
“Israel categorically rejects international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians,” he added, reiterating that a peace deal will only result from “direct negotiations without preconditions.”
The implementation of the plan referred to by the Washington Post would begin with a ceasefire “expected to last at least six weeks”. The newspaper cited US and Arab officials as saying they hoped a deal would be reached before March 10, the day Ramadan begins.
It includes a cessation of hostilities, the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas in the October 7 attack and held in the Gaza Strip since then, and a timetable for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“We will never give our approval to such a plan, which in effect says that the Palestinians deserve a reward for the horrific carnage they have committed,” Mr. Smotrich countered via X, calling the establishment of a Palestinian state “an existential threat to the state of Israel ».
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