Israel’s parliament passes bill rejecting Palestinian statehood

Israel’s parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution late on Thursday that rejects the establishment of a Palestinian state, a decision which is likely to irk some Democrats, just days before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to visit to the United States 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.

Israel’s parliament had already approved a Netanyahu-sponsored bill which rejected Palestinian statehood back in February, but this bill was more of a reaction to reports of countries recognising Palestine.

This new bill comes as Netanyahu is set to speak in front of Congress next week, which has already caused divisions and debate among the country’s Democratic lawmakers.

Netanyahu is also set on meeting US President Joe Biden, though the latter’s positive Covid-19 test may complicate the meeting’s logistics.

Biden has repeatedly stated his country’s support for a two-state solution.

The bill also directly contradicts the speech made by King Charles on Wednesday which reiterated the UK’s policy for a two-state solution.

UAE official calls for international force

Earlier on Thursday a senior Emirati official backed the idea of deploying an international force to provide “law and order” in the besieged Gaza Strip under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority, in one of the the clearest sign yet that Gulf powers were inching closer to an agreement for a post-war force in Gaza that the US has been lobbying for.

Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s former ambassador to the United Nations, now an assistant minister for political affairs in the UAE, called for a “temporary international presence in Gaza” in an opinion article published in The Financial Times.

Nusseibeh called for “a temporary international mission that responds to the humanitarian crisis, establishes law and order, lays the groundwork for governance and paves the way to reuniting Gaza and the occupied West Bank.”

Hamas and Israel are still locked in ceasefire talks aimed at ending the war that has killed almost 39,000 Palestinians, the vast majority of them women  and children. Thousands more are missing.

The two sides have been back and forth over a three-phased proposed outline for the agreement presented by mediators from the United States, Qatar and Egypt. 

The mediators have not publicly detailed the full contents of the proposal, but the broad contours of the deal, according to previous rounds of negotiations shared with MEE, involve a six-week pause in fighting, in which Hamas will release some Israeli captives it has held since 7 October when it attacked southern Israel.

In exchange, Israel is expected to release a number of Palestinian prisoners, withdraw its troops from certain regions of the Gaza Strip and allow Palestinians to travel from the south of the territory to the north.

During the second phase, there would be a direct announcement of a permanent cessation of military operations before the remaining Israeli captives are exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners.

In the last phase, there would be a complete lifting of the blockade of the Gaza Strip. 

In May, a senior Palestinian source with knowledge of Hamas policies, told MEE that Hamas was prepared to show “flexibility” about the future governance of Gaza, as long as the decision to rule the war-battered enclave is agreed upon by other Palestinian factions and is not imposed by either the US or Israel.

Overnight, at least six people were killed in an Israeli strike on a home in al-Zawayda, in central Gaza, while at least one other person was killed in an Israeli attack on a mosque in the Nuseirat refugee camp.

An Israeli drone strike on the east of Lebanon’s Beqaa also reportedly killed a member of al-Jamaa al-Islamiya group, according to Al Jazeera.