ISRAEL’S Parliament Overwhelmingly Passes Bill Rejecting Palestine State

ISRAEL’S parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution late on Wednesday that rejects the establishment of a Palestinian state, a decision that is likely to irk some Democrats just days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to visit to the US and address Congress.

The bill, which was co-sponsored by Netanyahu’s coalition along with right-wing parties in the opposition, was passed by a majority of 68 votes, with only nine parliamentarians voting against it

Benny Gantz, who is seen by many leaders in the West as a more moderate figure than Netanyahu, voted in favour of the bill, along with his party.

The resolution completely rejects Palestinian statehood, even as part of a negotiated settlement with Israel.

“The Knesset [parliament] of Israel firmly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state west of Jordan,” the resolution stated

“The establishment of a Palestinian state in the heart of the Land of Israel will pose an existential danger to the State of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and destabilise the region.

“It will only be a matter of a short time until Hamas takes over the Palestinian state and turns it into a radical Islamic terror base, working in coordination with the Iranian-led axis to eliminate the State of Israel.

Promoting the idea of a Palestinian state at this time will be a reward for terrorism and will only encourage Hamas and its supporters to see this as a victory, thanks to the massacre of October 7, 2023, and a prelude to the takeover of jihadist Islam in the Middle East,” it added.

Mustafa Barghouti, the secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, slammed the passing of the resolution.

“No Zionist party from both the government and the opposition voted against the resolution,” he wrote on social media.