Israeli Knesset Overwhelming Votes Against Palestinian Statehood

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • Israel's Knesset passed a resolution on Thursday rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, with 68 votes in favor and nine against in the 120-seat body.1
  • Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition and right-wing parties sponsored the resolution, which also received support from Benny Gantz’s National Unity Party. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party abstained from the vote.2
  • The vote, which does not have legal weight, comes ahead of Netanyahu's trip to Washington to speak before Congress. The Biden administration and the Democratic Party have said that they support the creation of a Palestinian state.3
  • Complicating the situation further, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, saying that he had prayed for the return of Israeli hostages "but without a reckless deal, without surrendering." Tensions at the site have sparked conflict in the past.4
  • Meanwhile, fighting continued across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, with residents in Rafah reporting that Israeli forces had advanced deeper into the western side of the city, stationing atop a hill in the area.5

Sources: 1Voice of America, 2The Times of Israel, 3JNS, 4Associated Press and 5Reuters.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Vox. Though it may seem that it has never been as difficult to make peace, moderates must rise above the populist extremism of Hamas and the Israeli political right so the land can be shared. Both Israeli and Palestinian national aspirations are valid projects that deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. The two-state solution may not be the most equitable or desirable for either side, but it's the most achievable outcome.
  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by The Jerusalem Post. Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel was the final nail in the coffin for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Since Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, the enclave has essentially existed as a terrorist-run proto-state. Given the Palestinian Authority's inefficacy, Israel has no partners for peace, and the last 20 years in Gaza prove this. A violent, terrorist-run Palestinian state would be an existential threat to Israel's security.
  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Mother Jones. Israel killed the two-state solution a long time ago. There can't be a Palestinian state after nearly 75 years of Israeli policies effectively atomizing and dividing the Palestinian political scene and physical landscape via a system of apartheid and occupation. The only solution is to accept reality — Israel is an apartheid state that practices sovereignty over the region, and this apartheid must be dismantled so that all people residing in the land can live free as equals.

Predictions