In a resounding condemnation of what appears to be a disconcerting trend among several European nations, the Israeli Foreign Ministry has fiercely criticized moves by Spain, Malta, Slovenia, and Ireland towards the recognition of a Palestinian state.
A foreign ministry spokesperson, Lior Haiat, voiced a stern rebuke on Monday in a post on Elon Musk's social media platform, X (formerly called Twitter), casting these gestures as nothing short of a tacit endorsement of terrorism, in the wake of the harrowing events of October 7th. According to Haiat, this quartet of EU countries seems poised to deliver an alarming message: acts of terror against Israelis could not only be overlooked but might also be rewarded.
The comments of the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, about recognizing a Palestinian state, as well as the joint statement by Spain, Malta, Slovenia and Ireland about their readiness to recognize a Palestinian state, constitute a reward for terrorism.
— Lior Haiat 🇮🇱🎗️ (@LiorHaiat) March 25, 2024
The recognition of a… pic.twitter.com/kS0XyxnRlX
At the heart of this controversy is Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's statements, alongside a collaborative declaration from the mentioned European countries, signaling their willingness to recognize a Palestinian state. This, Haiat suggests, is a direct affront to the victims of the October 7th massacre, essentially offering a political boon to Palestinian factions in response to violence. The implication here is chilling—such recognition serves as a morale booster to organizations like Hamas, reinforcing the notion that bloodshed leads to diplomatic gains.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry's statement goes further, insisting that the only viable path to combat Palestinian terrorism is through a total and unambiguous denunciation of Hamas and its reprehensible acts, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and sexual violence perpetrated during the October attack and beyond. The statement underscores the pressing need for the international community to demand the release of hostages taken during these assaults, highlighting a concerted effort to secure their freedom and to hold the perpetrators accountable on the global stage. Even the popular government spokesperson Eylon Levy weighed in on the topic. Also posting on X, Levey wrote that recognizing a Palestinian State is "incentivizing babrbaric atrocities."
If you think the response to 10/7 is recognizing a Palestinian state, you are rewarding and incentivizing barbaric atrocities.
— Eylon Levy (@EylonALevy) March 25, 2024
The world mustn’t send the Palestinians the message that gang-rape will advance their cause.
That’s the lesson 🇪🇸🇲🇹🇮🇪🇸🇮 are encouraging them to learn.
Moreover, Haiat articulates a clear stance on the peace process: true resolution can only emerge from direct dialogue between Israel and Palestine. Any external attempts to prematurely recognize a Palestinian state are portrayed as not only futile but dangerously counterproductive, potentially exacerbating regional tensions and derailing the peace negotiations altogether.
In essence, the Israeli Foreign Ministry's fiery response to European overtures towards Palestinian statehood underscores a profound concern: such moves, however well-intentioned, might inadvertently embolden terrorist factions and undermine the delicate fabric of peace in the Middle East. The message from Jerusalem is unequivocal—diplomatic recognition must not become a reward for violence, and the path to peace lies through dialogue, not unilateral gestures that could destabilize an already volatile region.
