JERUSALEM, Israel – This is a big week for Israel. It's the beginning of the fall holidays, starting with the Feast of Trumpets and the start of the year 5786 on the Jewish calendar. In the international arena, the U.K., Canada, Australia, and Portugal joined the nations ready to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations.
Despite polls showing objections to Palestinian state recognition by the British public, Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared, "In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a two-state solution. That means a safe and secure Israel, alongside a viable Palestinian state."
Unilateral recognition of statehood and the situation in Gaza are expected to dominate in the week's U.N. General Assembly.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again rejected Palestinian statehood in biblical Judea and Samaria on Sunday.
"At the U.N., I will present the truth, the prime minister announced. "This is Israel’s truth, but it is the objective truth in our righteous struggle against the forces of evil, and our vision for real peace, peace from strength.”
Netanyahu added that the push for recognition by the European states, Canada, and Australia sends exactly the wrong message.
He remarked, “I have a clear message to those leaders who recognize a Palestinian state after the terrible massacre of October 7th: You are giving a huge prize to terrorism. And I have another message for you: It will not happen. There will be no Palestinian state west of the Jordan (River)."
Despite the argument that the decision would sideline Hamas and bring peace, Hamas took credit for the decision to recognize a state, insisting that it was the October 7th, 2023, invasion and massacre of Israelis that led to the Anglo nations' and Portugal's recent announcements.
Palestinians in Ramallah welcomed the announcements and made their ultimate goal clear.
Ramallah resident Abdullah Fayad noted, "We also hope to see a complete Palestinian state from the (Mediterranean) Sea to the (Jordan) River."
Middle East international law expert Eugene Kontorovich contends that they can say what they want, but a Palestinian state doesn't exist.
"They have complete independence, autonomy; Israel is not controlling their lives," Kontorovich observed. "So, what would a state give them that they don't have now? The ability to buy weapons on the international market, and the ability to open their borders and bring in jihadis from around the world. So imagine October 7th, except this time, instead of machine guns and gliders, they have airplanes and artillery, and millions of people who have come to join them on jihad from around the world."
For those reasons, Kontorovich believes Israel can't allow statehood.
In Israel, there is talk of extending Israeli sovereignty over biblical Judea and Samaria, thereby preventing the creation of a Palestinian state. Netanyahu has indicated that he'll deliver Israel's official response after he meets with President Trump following his U.N. speech this Friday.
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