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Knesset votes overwhelmingly against establishment of Palestinian state

Israel’s Knesset votes 68 to 9 to pass measure rejecting any deal to establish Palestinian state west of the Jordan River.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News Staff

The Knesset voted by a wide majority Wednesday night in favor of a resolution rejecting Palestinian statehood in any form.

Wednesday’s measure, proposed by coalition lawmakers MKs Simcha Rothman, Yoel (Yuli) Edelstein and Limor Son Har Melech – co-chairs of the Land of Israel Caucus – comes just days ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned trip to Washington D.C. for an address before a special joint session of Congress.

Netanyahu is widely expected to meet with President Joe Biden during his visit to Washington.

The new resolution, which was passed by a majority of 68 to 9, includes a far broader rejection of Palestinian statehood than a previous resolution passed in February.

While the February 21st motion, which was passed by an even broader majority of 99 to 11, winning significant support from Opposition lawmakers, rejected only unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood, Wednesday’s resolution expressed the Knesset’s opposition to any arrangement for Palestinian statehood.

“The Israeli Knesset opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state on any piece of land west of the Jordan River,” the resolution reads. “The existence of a Palestinian state in the heart of Israel will pose an existential threat to the State of Israel and its citizens, will further extend the Israel-Palestinian Arab conflict and be a source of destabilization for the entire region.”

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“It will be only a matter of time before Hamas takes over such a Palestinian state turning it into a base for radical Islamic terrorism in full alignment with the Iranian regime that aims to eradicate the State of Israel.”

“Supporting Palestinian statehood would reward terrorism and serve to encourage Hamas and its supporters. Israel’s enemies will interpret it as the victorious outcome of the massacre perpetrated on October 7th and a precursor to the conquest of jihadist Islamism of the entire Middle East.”