JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday condemned recent Western recognitions of a Palestinian state and vowed that “a Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River,” saying Israel will announce its response after he returns from a planned trip to the United States. Reuters+1
Netanyahu’s remarks — delivered to ministers and released by his office — came after the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Portugal formally recognised Palestinian statehood. The prime minister accused those countries of “giving a huge reward to terror” for recognising statehood in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. Reuters+1
“It will not happen. A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River,” Netanyahu said, repeating his pledge and stressing that Israel would defend what he called its national security interests. He added that the “response to the recent attempt to impose a terror state in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the United States. Wait.” South China Morning Post+1
Netanyahu also pointed to Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank — saying his government had “doubled Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria” and would continue that course — language critics say signals willingness to pursue unilateral steps that could further erode prospects for a contiguous Palestinian state. Haaretz
His comments underscore a sharp diplomatic rupture with allied governments that argued recognition was needed to revive a two-state prospect amid the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Palestinian and some international leaders welcomed the recognitions as an important political step; Israel and its supporters called them a dangerous concession to extremist violence. Reuters+1
Analysts warn Netanyahu’s pledge could presage a range of responses — from intensified diplomatic countermeasures to unilateral moves in the West Bank — and will test the coherence of Israel’s relations with key Western partners in the run-up to the UN General Assembly this week.