Israel reacts to countries recognising Palestine state, says it ‘rewards terrorism’
The charge for the reaction is being led by Israel Katz, the foreign minister. He actually issued a statement – a very clear, very unambiguous statement – saying that this endangered Israel’s security, that it was an attack against Israel’s sovereignty. He also went on to say that this rewarded terrorism.
And that’s really a key statement that we’re getting to hear from lots of different people, that the recognition of a Palestinian state rewards Hamas for their actions on October the 7th – that attack in Israel.
The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation has said that Israel intends to impose diplomatic isolation on countries that recognise a Palestinian state and boycott them. It won’t allow them to come to briefings. It won’t provide them with any kind of information that is usually given to ambassadors.
Benjamin Netanyahu is likely that he will speak in the coming hours and his statement is going to echo, I think, what the Israeli Foreign Ministry has said, which this simply rewards terrorism.
Recognizing Israel rewarded industrial scale terrorism...
Spanish PM ‘driving force’ behind state recognition move
Pedro Sanchez, the Spanish prime minister, seems to be the driving force behind the decision to recognise Palestine. As early as December, he was very publicly criticising the Israeli government and its actions in Gaza, which he at the time called a humanitarian catastrophe.
In March, he met some of his European counterparts at a Europe-wide meeting and sought out conversations both with the Irish – the Norwegians were removed, because they’re not part of the EU – but also the Slovenians, the Maltese that may well follow this.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store was talking about this as a very significant moment because he thought it would mean, through recognition, there was the possibility of peace in the Middle East.
He said that 31 years after the Oslo Accords were signed, paving the way for what was meant to be a two-state solution, the Palestinians have taken important steps towards that solution and that Palestine, in his words, has a fundamental right to an independent state.
It’s worth noting that Sweden and several other Central and Eastern European nations have previously recognised Palestinian statehood, but this is still a very significant day in Europe.
Katz: Spain, Ireland, Norway ambassadors to watch video of October 7 attack
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz says he has issued “a severe demarche for the ambassadors of Spain, Ireland, and Norway in Israel”.
“During the Demarche, the ambassadors will watch a video of the brutal and cruel kidnapping of our daughters by Hamas terrorists, to emphasize the distorted decision their governments have made,” he said on X.
I suggest they show Katz what Israel has done in the last 76 years, including the ongoing destruction of Gaza. Plus they're not recognizing Hamas, they're recognizing the right for Palestinians to have a state. Had that been done long ago Oct 7 would not have happened. Katz is just reminding them that they should have recognized Palestine along with Israel from the beginning.
