Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday he remains opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state, following protests by the far-right over a US-backed declaration that expressed support for a path to Palestinian independence, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
Netanyahu spoke two days after the United States, a key ally of Israel, and many Muslim countries backed a draft UN resolution backing President Donald Trump's peace plan for the Gaza Strip, saying the process leads to a path to a Palestinian state.
The UN Security Council began talks on November 7 on the draft, which would impose Trump's proposal for a transitional administration “Peace Committee“ in Gaza to address issues including post-war reconstruction and economic recovery. A vote on a US-proposed resolution will take place tomorrow.
Trump's 20-point plan includes a clause that says that if there are reforms in the Palestinian Authority, "the conditions may finally be in place for a credible path to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people."
That part has angered leaders of Israel's far-right, who opposed a truce brokered by Trump in Gaza last month, testing Netanyahu's ruling coalition of conservatives and ultranationalists, Reuters notes.
Yesterday, Israeli far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich urged Netanyahu to reject the idea of a Palestinian state. Ben-Gvir, Israel's internal security minister, threatened to leave the ruling coalition if the prime minister did not take action.
Netanyahu said in a statement today: “Our opposition to a Palestinian state on any territory has not changed. Gaza will be demilitarized, and (the movement) "Hamas" will be disarmed, the easy way or the hard way. I don't need confirmations, tweets or lectures from anyone.“
A possible exit by the far right could topple Netanyahu's right-wing government long before the next regular elections, which are due by October 2026. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also issued statements today against recognizing a Palestinian state, without mentioning Netanyahu, Reuters reported.