Israel’s Foreign Minister said a plan by UN members to recognize a Palestinian state is a “mistake” and will result in Tel Aviv taking “unilateral” action.
Over the summer, countries including the UK and France announced plans to support Palestine’s bid to become a UN member state. On Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar asserted that recognition of Palestine will destabilize the region.
“States like France and the UK that pushed the so-called recognition had made a tremendous mistake,” he said at a joint press conference with his visiting Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen. “It will destabilise the region. It will push Israel also to have unilateral decisions.”
Sa’ar went on to argue that the UN making Palestine a member state will make it harder to achieve peace.
While the foreign minister did not explain what “unilateral” action Tel Aviv might take, top Israeli officials have recently discussed annexing parts of the West Bank. Additionally, Finance Minister Betzel Smotrich announced a settlement expansion in the West Bank that will bisect the Palestinian territory.
Smotrich claimed that the settlement will “bury” the idea of a Palestinian state.
London and Paris made the decision to recognize Palestine as a response to the Israeli-created famine in Gaza. When the US General Assembly reconvenes later this month, the body is expected to vote on making Palestine a member.
Sa’ar went on to explain that Israel only supports the creation of a Palestinian state under strict conditions. “And therefore it comes with a lot of preconditions – a disarmed Palestinian state recognising Israel, transparency, democracy… That is our position,” The Israeli diplomat said.
