File Photo: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks members of a bipartisan delegation of American legislators at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem. AFP
“I have a clear message for those leaders who recognise a Palestinian state … it will not happen. No Palestinian state will be established west of the Jordan River,” Netanyahu said.
“We have doubled Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria and we will continue on this path,” he added in a statement, using the biblical name for the West Bank.
Netanyahu admitted he has worked for years to prevent a Palestinian state, acknowledging “enormous pressure both domestically and internationally” in favour of Palestinian statehood.
Israel’s foreign ministry condemned what it described as “one-sided” recognition of a Palestinian state by Britain, Canada and Australia, warning the move could further destabilise the region. Yet Israel’s nearly two-year war on Gaza, including attacks on several Arab capitals, has itself fuelled regional instability.
“Israel categorically rejects the one-sided declaration of the recognition of a Palestinian state made by the United Kingdom and some other countries,” the ministry said. “This declaration does not promote peace, but on the contrary further destabilises the region and undermines the chances of achieving a peaceful solution in the future.”
The three countries became the first members of the Group of Seven advanced economies to recognise a Palestinian state, ahead of other nations — including France — expected to follow suit at the UN General Assembly in New York starting Monday.
*This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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