The outrageous decision makes a mockery of Israel's existential struggle against terror and turns reality on its head, as it was Hamas that started the war. Moreover, "Palestine" doesdoesn't not meet the most basic requirements of statehood, and the shocking move only rewards the Hamas jihadists and the Tehran regime while undermining any hope for peace. Israel will not stand idly by and will continue to defend itself until Hamas is defeated and all remaining hostages are freed.
The announcement is a historic and long overdue step that signals to Palestinians that they have an explicit and fundamental right to self-determination. Moreover, state recognition aims to bolster moderate Palestinian forces that lost ground due to Israel's unprecedented military aggression. 142 of the 193 UN member states already recognize Palestine, and now other Western states must follow their conscience before Israel destroys the remaining basis for statehood.
There is a 69% chance that Israel will have de facto power in the Gaza Strip on Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
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