Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Norway, Spain, and Ireland on Wednesday for their decisions to recognize Palestine as a state during the ongoing Gaza war, labelling it a “reward for terrorism.”
Netanyahu described Palestine as a “terrorist state,” citing a poll indicating that 80% of Palestinians in the West Bank supported the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 last year, which ignited the current conflict in Gaza. He argued that recognizing Palestine as a state would embolden Hamas to replicate its attacks on Israel.
“The intention of several European countries to recognize a Palestinian state is a reward for terrorism. Eighty per cent of the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria support the terrible massacre of October 7. This evil cannot be given a state. This would be a terrorist state. It will try to repeat the massacre of October 7 again and again. We will not consent to this. Rewarding terrorism will not bring peace and neither will it stop us from defeating Hamas,” Netanyahu tweeted on Wednesday night.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed Netanyahu’s sentiments, urging the Prime Minister to impose severe punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority for its unilateral actions against Israel, including financial cutoffs to Ramallah. Smotrich wrote to Netanyahu, emphasizing the need for harsh measures in response to the Palestinian Authority’s pursuit of unilateral recognition.
US stance on recognization of Palestinian State
In contrast, the United States expressed disapproval of the decisions by Norway, Spain, and Ireland to recognize Palestine. The US, which advocates for a two-state solution, maintained that such recognition should come through negotiations. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan criticized Smotrich’s proposed measures, warning that withholding funds would destabilize the West Bank and undermine security and prosperity for the Palestinian people, which he asserted are in Israel’s interests.
Sullivan further revealed that the US had summoned the envoys of Norway, Spain, and Ireland for “severe reprimands.” The ambassadors were shown footage of five Israeli female soldiers being kidnapped on October 7, footage that was publicly released after approval from the soldiers’ families.
As tensions continue, Netanyahu’s condemnation of European countries’ recognition of Palestine underscores the complex dynamics of international support and opposition amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
