The Knesset voted overwhelmingly Thursday morning in favor of a resolution rejecting the creation of a Palestinian state.
The resolution was co-sponsored by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition parties as well as right-wing opposition parties and even received support from Benny Gantz’s centrist National Unity party.
MKs from opposition leader Yair Lapid’s center-left Yesh Atid party walked out of the plenary session to avoid supporting the measure, even though he has spoken out in favor of a two-state solution. The only ones who supported the resolution were MKs from Labor, Ra’am and Hadash-Ta’al parties.
The move comes days before Netanyahu visits the United States, where he is scheduled to address Congress and meet with President Joe Biden at the White House. The move is likely to further anger Democrats, who are uncomfortable with an Israeli government that increasingly rejects the two-state solution.
Already in February, the Knesset passed a resolution sponsored by Netanyahu rejecting the creation of a Palestinian state, but that motion specifically addressed the unilateral creation of such a state, amid reports that foreign countries were considering recognizing a Palestinian state in the absence of a peace agreement with Israel.
This resolution, adopted by 68 votes to 9, totally rejects the creation of a Palestinian state, even within the framework of an agreement negotiated with Israel.
“The Knesset of Israel strongly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state west of Jordan. The establishment of a Palestinian state in the heart of the Land of Israel would constitute an existential danger to the State of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and destabilize the region,” the resolution said.
“It will only be a matter of time before Hamas takes control of the Palestinian state and turns it into a radical Islamic terrorist base, working in coordination with the Iranian-led axis to eliminate the State of Israel,” he continued. “Promoting the idea of a Palestinian state at that time would be a reward for terrorism and would only encourage Hamas and its supporters to view this as a victory, thanks to the massacre of October 7, 2023, and a prelude to the takeover of jihadist Islam in the Middle East.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks out against the 2015 U.S.-Iran nuclear deal before a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 3, 2015. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
The vote comes as Netanyahu’s July 24 speech already sparked dismay among many Democrats, many of whom are torn between their long-standing support for Israel and their dismay at how Israel has conducted its military operations in Gaza during the war with Hamas.
While some Democrats say they will attend the rally out of respect for Israel, a larger and growing faction wants no part of it, creating an extraordinarily charged atmosphere at a gathering that normally amounts to a ceremonial, bipartisan show of support for an American ally.
The president’s increasingly perilous political situation is further complicating matters for Biden and Democrats, with calls growing for him to withdraw from the race as he trails far behind opponent Donald Trump in the polls.
The White House announced Wednesday that Biden would travel to Delaware to isolate after testing positive for COVID. It’s unclear how that news might impact a planned meeting with Netanyahu in Washington on Monday. Biden’s doctor said he was taking Paxlovid, a treatment typically given over five days, but did not provide a timeline for his expected recovery.
Times of Israel staff and agencies contributed to this report.
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