With a United Nations Security Council vote on a Gaza resolution looming, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin netanyahu has reaffirmed his government’s firm opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state-a position further emphasized by multiple cabinet ministers [[1]]. The U.S.-drafted resolution, which reportedly supports the 2020 Trump peace plan, marks a significant shift in international discourse and comes amid increasing pressure from France and other nations that recently recognized Palestinian statehood[[1]]. This internal Israeli resistance underscores the deep divisions surrounding the future of the region and the path toward a lasting peace.
Israeli Prime Minister Reaffirms Opposition to Palestinian State Ahead of UN Vote
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several of his cabinet ministers have reiterated their staunch opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state, just days before a United Nations Security Council vote on a U.S.-drafted resolution concerning Gaza that raises the possibility of one in the future. The upcoming vote highlights the deep divisions surrounding the long-term future of the region and potential pathways to peace.
The proposed resolution differs from previous drafts by acknowledging the potential for a future Palestinian state, a concept the Israeli government has consistently and firmly rejected. The current draft also reportedly supports the peace plan initially proposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
“Our opposition to a Palestinian state in any territory whatsoever has not changed,” Netanyahu stated Sunday at the start of a cabinet meeting. He added that he requires “lessons from no one” on the matter.
On Saturday evening, far-right Minister Bezalel Smotrich accused Netanyahu of remaining “silent” following France and several other countries’ recognition of a Palestinian state in September. Smotrich urged Netanyahu to issue “an appropriate and firm response” clarifying Israel’s position to the world: “There will never be a Palestinian state on the land of our homeland,” he wrote on X.
Another hardline member of the government, Itamar Ben Gvir, declared on social media that his Otzma Yehudit (“Jewish Power”) party would not participate in “any government that agrees” to the creation of a Palestinian state.
Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also used X to emphasize their rejection of any Palestinian state.
The U.S.-drafted resolution reportedly endorses the Trump plan, which led to the implementation of a fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on October 10, following two years of conflict.
According to the text, which was reviewed by the Agence France-Presse, the resolution would authorize the deployment of an “International Stabilization Force” (ISF) in the Palestinian territory. It also proposes establishing a “peace committee,” to be chaired by Donald Trump, with a mandate to administer the territory provisionally until December 31, 2027.
