Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reaffirmed that there will be no Palestinian state, warning leaders of the UK, Canada, and Australia that their recognition would be tantamount to “rewarding terrorism”. Netanyahu’s statement comes amid the two-state solution in resolving the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
‘There will be no Palestinian state’: Netanyahu
“There will be no Palestinian state. The response to the latest attempt to force upon us a terror state in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the United States,” he said in a statement.
Netanyahu added, “I have a clear message to those leaders who are recognising a Palestinian state after the horrendous October 7 massacre: You are rewarding terror with an enormous prize.
And I have another message for you: It’s not going to happen. There will be no Palestinian state to the west of the Jordan River.”
“For years, I have prevented the creation of that terror state, against tremendous pressure, both domestic and from abroad.
We have done this with determination and with astute statesmanship. Moreover, we have doubled the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, and we will continue on this path.
The response to the latest attempt to force upon us a terror state in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the United States,” he further said.
UK, Canada, Australia recognise Palestinian state
On Sunday, UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer formally recognised the Palestinian state after meeting families of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. “We will keep fighting to keep them home. Our call for a genuine two-state solution is the exact opposite of a hateful vision,” he said.
“This solution is not a reward for Hamas,” he added, emphasising that Hamas can have no future, no role in government, and no role in security.
Earlier, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney also recognised the state of Palestine, stating that the possibility of a two-state solution was “eroded before his eyes”.
Australian Prime Minister also released a statement in support of a Palestinian state, as it has been seeking peace for a long time now.
Netanyahu’s ‘Greater Israel’ vision
Netanyahu remains deeply committed to his vision of a “Greater Israel”, a concept first outlined in the Likud Party’s founding charter in 1977, which stated that Israeli sovereignty should extend from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River.
The phrase originally emerged after the 1967 Six-Day War to describe the territories Israel had captured.
Last year, Netanyahu reiterated that Israel must maintain “security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River”. He acknowledged, “That collides with the idea of [Palestinian] sovereignty. What can we do?”
Currently, Netanyahu is positioned to move forward with annexing the Gaza Strip and formalising Israeli jurisdiction over settlements in the West Bank, home to over 700,000 settlers under IDF protection, with the potential to extend control over the entire area.
Additionally, Israel has expanded its influence beyond its borders, achieving strategic gains in Lebanon and Syria after weakening Hezbollah and conducting strikes in southern Syria and against Iranian targets. Netanyahu has indicated that the IDF’s presence in these regions is unlikely to be reduced in the near future.