Netanyahu Slams UK, Australia, Canada for recognizing Palestine: 'You give a great reward to terrorism'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded angry to the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada’s coordinated decision to formally recognize and exclude a Palestinian state. “A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River,” Netanyahu declared. “You give a great reward to terrorism … it won’t happen.” He played on possible retaliation steps, including the annexation of parts of the West Bank. Israel’s formal reaction, he said, would follow his meetings at the UN General Assembly and with US President Donald Trump later this week. The Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smtrich, reflects the view: “The days when Britain and other countries would determine that our future was over … The only answer to this anti-Israeli move is sovereignty about Judea and Samaria and the foolish idea of ​​a Palestinian state of the agenda forever removed.” Opposition blames the Netanyahu government, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, criticized the recognition and Netanyahu’s handling of diplomacy. “The unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state is a reward for terrorism, but also the result of the government’s failure,” Lapid said on X. “A functioning Israeli government could have prevented it … The government that brought the worst security disaster to our history is now also bringing the most serious diplomatic crisis.” UK, Australia, Canada, Palestine recognizes the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada formally a Palestinian state on Sunday in a coordinated initiative that reflects the growing frustration with Israel’s actions in the Gaza war and continued expansion of the West Bank settlements. The move adds the three countries in the Commonwealth to more than 150 countries that Palestine already recognizes. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the recognition is aimed at reviving hope for peace. “To revive the hope of peace and a two -state solution, I clearly make it as prime minister of this great country that the UK formally recognizes the state of Palestine,” Starmer said in a video message. He emphasized that the decision was not a reward for Hamas, who was executed on October 7, 2023, attacks: “We recognized the state of Israel more than 75 years ago as a homeland for the Jewish people. Today we join more than 150 countries who also recognize a Palestinian state.” The Palestinian leadership acknowledged Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the move as a step towards peace. “It enables the state of Palestine to live side by side with the state of Israel in safety, peace and good neighbor,” Abbas said, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa. The militant group of Hamas also praised the recognition and called the result of Palestinian “struggle, steadfastness and sacrifices.” It urged the international community to isolate Israel and increase “punishments” against its leaders. Divisions in the UK The recognition has caused political divisions in Britain. Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch condemned the move and said: ‘We will all be the day this decision was made … to reward terrorism without any conditions for Hamas. It weakens hostages in Gaza and does nothing to stop the suffering of innocent people caught in this war. ” The decision comes amid nearly two years of war in Gaza that killed more than 65,000 people, displaced a large part of its population and created a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Last week, experts from the UN Human Rights Council accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza -rejecting the bakkie of Israel as “distorted and false.”