Israel says unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state will lead to ‘unilateral measures’

Unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state will lead Israel to take “unilateral measures,” Israeli Foreign Minister warns

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar warned on Sunday that any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state would prompt Israel to respond with its own unilateral actions. His comments come amid ongoing discussions on the matter.

“Any attempt at unilateral recognition […] will only harm the future prospects of a bilateral process and will compel us to take unilateral steps in response,” Saar said after a meeting with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, in Jerusalem. Germany continues to support a two-state solution with bilateral recognition of both Israeli and Palestinian states.

“The prospect of a two-state solution remains the best hope for Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, security, and dignity,” said Wadephul. “It should not be undermined — neither by the expansion of illegal settlements nor by premature recognition of a Palestinian state.”

Around 150 countries already recognize the State of Palestine. In May 2024, Ireland, Norway, and Spain officially extended recognition, followed by Slovenia in June.

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to co-host an international conference at the United Nations in June with Saudi Arabia to revive the two-state solution. He has expressed hope that this conference will trigger “a wave of recognitions” of a Palestinian state, including by France, while encouraging recognition of Israel by several Arab and Muslim-majority countries.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and many of his ministers — part of one of the most right-wing governments in Israel’s history — have repeatedly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state. Saar reiterated this position on Sunday, stating that such recognition would “reward Hamas terrorism.”

The war in Gaza was sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by the Islamist militant group Hamas, which killed 1,218 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to AFP’s tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed at least 52,829 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, whose figures are considered reliable by the UN. Of the 251 people abducted on Oct. 7, 58 remain in Gaza, including 34 declared dead by the Israeli army. Hamas is also holding the remains of a soldier killed in a previous war in 2014.

On Iran’s nuclear program: “The most dangerous weapon”

Saar also warned that Iran must never be allowed to acquire “the most dangerous weapon in the world,” amid ongoing nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran. “The world’s most dangerous regime must never be allowed to obtain the world’s most dangerous weapon. Its uranium enrichment facilities must be dismantled,” he said during a joint press conference with Johann Wadephul in Jerusalem, as the U.S. and Iran hold a fourth round of talks in Oman.