Netanyahu rebukes Western nations at UN for embracing Palestinian statehood

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sharply denounced Western countries for embracing Palestinian statehood and accused them of buckling under pressure from activists and others who have accused Israel of war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza.

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Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Sept 26, the Israeli leader pushed back in harsh terms against a flurry of diplomatic moves by leading US allies that deepened Israel’s international isolation over its conduct of the nearly two-year-old war against Hamas militants in Gaza.

“This week, the leaders of France, Britain, Australia, Canada and other countries unconditionally recognised a Palestinian state. They did so after the horrors committed by Hamas on Oct 7 — horrors praised on that day by nearly 90 per cent of the Palestinian population.”

With more countries joining the list of those endorsing Palestinian independence, the most right-wing government in Israeli history has made its strongest declaration yet that there will be no Palestinian state as it pushes on with its fight against Hamas following the militants’ Oct 7, 2023, rampage in Israel. Hamas-led fighters killed some 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.