Yesterday evening, Wednesday, the Israeli Knesset adopted a resolution rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, for the first time in the council’s history.

68 members supported the decision, including the leader of the Israeli National Unity Party, Benny Gantz, and his party’s deputies, while only 9 deputies opposed it.

According to Israeli media, the decision also received support from parties in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition and right-wing parties, while representatives from the Yesh Atid (There is a Future) party led by Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid left the session to avoid supporting the decision.

The resolution described the establishment of a Palestinian state following the events of October 7, 2023, as a “reward for terrorism” and would be an existential threat to Israel, indicating that Hamas would seize control of the Palestinian state and turn it into an “extremist Islamic terrorist base” in a short time.

The resolution also says this would perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and further destabilize it.

It is noteworthy that the decision came days before Netanyahu's visit to Washington to deliver a speech at a joint session of Congress and meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House. This decision is likely to upset Democrats who feel uncomfortable supporting an Israeli government that is increasingly rejecting the two-state solution.

Last May, the United Nations General Assembly adopted - with a majority of 143 votes in favor, 9 against and 25 abstentions - a resolution supporting Palestine’s application for full membership in the United Nations, and recommending that the Security Council reconsider the application.

The resolution also identified ways to implement additional rights and privileges related to Palestine's participation in the United Nations. He affirmed the General Assembly's conviction that the State of Palestine is fully qualified for membership in the international organization in accordance with its Charter, and indicates widespread support from member states for accepting Palestine as a member.

The Israeli government then rejected the decision, and Netanyahu said: “We will not allow them to establish a terrorist state through which they can attack us further, and no one will prevent us from exercising our fundamental right to defend ourselves, neither the United Nations General Assembly nor any other body.”

Last April, the United States used its veto in the Security Council against an Algerian draft resolution recommending that the General Assembly accept Palestine as a UN member. 12 members supported it, while Switzerland and Britain abstained from voting.

It is noteworthy that the State of Palestine is a member and has observer status in the United Nations, in accordance with the resolution of the Organization’s General Assembly on November 29, 2012.