Israel fumes over Western recognition of Palestinian state, pushes for West Bank annexation

• Israeli ministers call for West Bank annexation after UK, Canada, Australia officially recognized Palestinian statehood

ISTANBUL

Western recognition of Palestinian statehood invited anger across Israel on Sunday, with government ministers calling for the annexation of the occupied West Bank in retaliation.

The UK, Canada and Australia recognized the state of Palestine on Sunday, in a move seen as a diplomatic push for a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In a video statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will respond to the recognition of the Palestinian state after his return from the US.

“A Palestinian state will not be established,” Netanyahu vowed, noting that he has prevented it for years, by strengthening settlements in the West Bank and “will continue to do so."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry called the recognition “nothing but a reward for jihadist Hamas.”

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called on the Israeli government to take what he called immediate countermeasures by annexing the West Bank and “a complete crushing of the Palestinian Authority.”

Writing on US social media company X, Ben-Gvir said he would submit a proposal for the West Bank annexation in the upcoming government meeting.

Extremist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also called for the annexation of the occupied West Bank in retaliation to the Western recognition of Palestinian statehood.

“Mr. Prime Minister, this is the time, and it is in your hands,” Smotrich said in a statement.

Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar made similar call for West Bank annexation, calling the Palestinian state recognition “a meaningless declaration reeking of antisemitism and hatred of Israel.”

“The only proper response to this foolish statement is the application of Israeli sovereignty over Judea, Samaria (West Bank), and the Jordan Valley,” he said on X.

Yair Golan, head of the opposition Democrats Party and a former deputy army chief, considered the Palestinian statehood recognition “a severe political failure of Netanyahu and Smotrich -- a destructive move for Israel's security."

“This is a direct result of Netanyahu's political abandonment: refusal to end the war and the dangerous choice of occupation and annexation,” Golan said, calling for a stronger political stance to end the war in the Gaza Strip.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid called the recognition of the Palestinian state a “diplomatic disaster,” accusing the Netanyahu government of causing “the most severe diplomatic crisis.”

Several other countries, including Belgium, France, and Portugal, are expected to formally recognize the Palestinian state in the UN General Assembly this week.

UN investigators recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where more than 65,000 people have been killed since October 2023.

Around three-quarters of UN member states already recognize Palestine, with Ireland, Spain, and Norway having formalized recognition last year.