Ahead Of A UN Vote, Netanyahu Said Israel Opposes A Palestinian State And He Has Kept Blocking It
One day before the vote, Netanyahu said to his cabinet that Israel's opposition to a Palestinian state "has not changed one bit" despite internal and external pressures.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state ahead of a UN Security Council (UNSC) vote on a resolution authorizing an international stabilization force in Gaza.
The US-drafted resolution, which the UNSC is scheduled to vote on on Monday, Nov. 17, welcomes the establishment of a board of peace, which was part of US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan, to govern Gaza during a transitional period and authorizes the creation of an international stabilization force.
The resolution was recently amended following requests from Arab and Muslim countries to include the establishment of a “credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”
The amendment prompted fury in Israel, with far-right Israeli ministers Belazel Smotritch and Itamar Ben-Gvir calling on Netanyahu to denounce a Palestinian state and vowing to block any move towards it.
One day before the vote, on Sunday, Nov. 16, Netanyahu said to his cabinet that Israel's opposition to a Palestinian state "has not changed one bit" despite internal and external pressures.
Netanyahu added in his video statement that Hamas will be demilitarized and disarmed in the areas not controlled by Israel “either the easy war or the hard way.”
Israeli broadcasting Kan also reported that Netanyahu’s cabinet engaged in last-minute diplomatic talks to push the US to change the wording of the resolution.
Meanwhile, Hamas has also rejected the resolution, calling it a new attempt to impose another form of occupation, according to Al Jazeera.
While waiting for the vote on Monday, Ben-Gvir said that Palestinian Authority officials should be assassinated if the resolution led to progress towards the recognition of a Palestinian state, according to Al Jazeera.
Cherry Mohamed
Sofia Hou
