The Israeli Knesset (parliament) voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to reject any “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state, in a move that cements Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The vote, which came just days after a report in the Washington Post that the United States and several Arab allies are working on a comprehensive peace plan that includes a timeline for Palestinian statehood, was seen as a direct rebuke to the Biden administration.
The resolution, which was approved by 99 out of 120 Knesset members, declares that “Israel outright rejects international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians” and that such a settlement can only be achieved “through direct negotiations between the parties without preconditions.”
Netanyahu welcomed the vote, saying that it “sends a clear message to the international community” that Israel will not “reward terror” with concessions.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the vote, calling it a “new Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.”
The vote comes at a time of heightened tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, following a recent escalation in violence in the Gaza Strip.
