Israel won’t allow Palestinian state, Netanyahu tells UN

The creation of a Palestinian state would be national suicide for Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a Friday address to the UN General Assembly. His speech began after repeated calls for order in the chamber, as some delegates cheered and clapped for him while others booed loudly. Dozens of delegates, including from the Palestinian Authority, walked out in protest before he spoke.

Netanyahu sharply criticized countries who recently recognized a Palestinian state. Israelis would not allow the creation of such a state, he said. Palestinian leaders, including the more moderate Palestinian Authority, refused for decades to take two-state deals because they didn’t want to allow an Israeli state, he said. The Palestinian Authority wouldn’t follow through on its recent promises of reform, he said.

The Israeli leader also read a list of the names of hostages still held by the Hamas terrorist group, but only those still deemed alive. He spoke directly to them, saying Israel had not forgotten them. Israel set up loudspeakers by the Gaza border to broadcast his speech into the territory, he said. He also wore a large lapel pin with a QR code linking to a website with photos of victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel. He urged delegates to visit the website to understand Israel’s war with the terrorist group in Gaza.

What do proponents of Palestinian statehood have to say? In a Sunday statement, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said both the Hamas terror group and Israel were oppressing Palestinians, and a two-state solution would help rectify that. He added that the Palestinian Authority committed to holding 2026 elections free of Hamas influence and demilitarizing any future Palestinian state. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Palestinian Authority agreed to recognize Israel’s right to exist. 

Dig deeper: Read my report on the recent decisions of Britain, Canada, and Australia to recognize a Palestinian state.