‘We will not reward terrorism with statehood’: Knesset rejects two-state solution
The Knesset on Thursday passed a resolution repudiating Palestinian statehood, even as part of a negotiated peace settlement.
The Israeli Knesset building in Jerusalem on March 27, 2023. Photo by Kobi Natan/TPS
While the timing appeared to be a signal to the Biden administration ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s upcoming US visit, one analyst pointed out that resolution is only symbolic.
“The Knesset of Israel firmly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state west of Jordan. 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 destabilize the region,” the non-binding resolution said.
“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,” the resolution continued. “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.”
This resolution was approved by a vote of 68-9.
It was sponsored by members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition along with right-wing opposition parties. The centrist National Union party led by Benny Gantz threw its support behind the resolution.
Voting against were the Labor, Ra’am and Hadash-Ta’al parties. MKs from the centrist Yesh Atid party walked out of the plenum rather than cast votes.
“The Knesset gave a clear message: we will not reward terrorism with statehood. We will stand strong, even when the world pressures us otherwise,” MK Dan Ilouz of Likud told The Press Service of Israel. “Both coalition and opposition joined to give the strong message.”
Residents of Judea and Samaria also lauded the resolution.
“Tonight, the official state of Israel is firmly opposed to the idea of establishing another state of terror in the heart of Israel. The Knesset decided by a large majority that Israel belongs exclusively to the state of Israel for historical, legal and security reasons,” Yigal Dilmoni, Director of External Relations at the Yesha Council told The Press Service of Israel. The council is an umbrella organization for the Jewish communities of Judea and Samaria.
“For the people of Israel and the Western world, it changes the paradigm that Israeli withdrawal brings peace, and requires any future arrangement to be compatible with this decision,” he added.
But one analyst was more measured, stressing that the resolution is only symbolic and carries no legal weight.
“It’s a symbolic resolution, so what’s the significance?” Professor Eyal Zisser told TPS-IL. Zisser is TAU’s vice-rector and has a chair in Contemporary History of the Middle East.
“It’s symbolic, but it shows that even what we call the moderate center in Israel doesn’t think that [Palestinian statehood] is on the table now and doesn’t think that this is something that can be discussed.”
As Israel coaxes the Palestinian Authority and moderate Arab states to play a role in post-war Gaza, their leaders have been trying to condition their participation on a timeframe for Palestinian statehood. Israel rejects this linkage. But Zisser told TPS-IL that the resolution would not make any impact on that, saying “everything depends on the Americans.”
Said Zisser, “There is a big gap between the vision being discussed by the Americans, by the Biden administration, and between the reality of the ground. So, this is the importance of that resolution, because it’s symbolic and has no meaning at all.”
