Israel's FM issues directive against unilateral Palestinian statehood

Israel Katz issues a directive to all of Israel's emissaries abroad reaffirming Israel's rejection of international decrees regarding a unilateral decision to found a Palestinian statehood.

 Foreign Minister Israel Katz speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 16, 2023  (photo credit: BOAZ ARAD)
Foreign Minister Israel Katz speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 16, 2023
(photo credit: BOAZ ARAD)

Israeli envoys abroad have been told to adopt the directive against unilateral Palestinian statehood as set out by the government’s proclamation last week, that any permanent arrangement between the parties must be done through direct negotiations, Foreign Minister Israel Katz told The Jerusalem Post.

He has issued this directive, affirmed by 99 of the Knesset’s 120 members, to all Israel emissaries abroad.

 WHILE MANY view the ICJ as an independent judicial body, it is inherently political. Its judges are elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council, bodies notorious for anti-Israel bias, the writer says.  (credit: REUTERS)
WHILE MANY view the ICJ as an independent judicial body, it is inherently political. Its judges are elected by the UN General Assembly and Security Council, bodies notorious for anti-Israel bias, the writer says. (credit: REUTERS)

It stated that, “Israel utterly rejects international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians.

“A settlement, if it is to be reached, will come about solely through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions.”

The reasoning for the proclamation

The proclamation stressed that “Israel will continue to oppose unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such recognition in the wake of the October 7 massacre would be a massive and unprecedented reward to terrorism and would prevent any future peace settlement.”

The message to the emissaries is that irrespective of their private opinions, this is the policy of the State of Israel which they must put forward, Katz said.

 Former Foreign Minister Eli Cohen with current Foreign Minister Israel Katz (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Former Foreign Minister Eli Cohen with current Foreign Minister Israel Katz (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)

Katz took up his post only in January, in a power-sharing agreement in which he exchanged his Energy and Infrastructure Ministry with Eli Cohen, who was foreign minister in the governing coalition’s first year.

Internationally reaffirming Israeli objectives

In the conversations he has held with foreign ministers in the last two months it has become clear to Katz that the two-state solution has become more important for the international community precisely at a time when it is least palatable for Israelis in the aftermath of the October 7 attack.

It is important for Israel to “say something here” on this issue, Katz explained.

He spoke as the United States has revived its push for a regional deal. This would include a security pact between Washington and Riyadh, a normalization deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel and a process leading toward Palestinian statehood.


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Israel fears attempts to unilaterally impose Palestinian statehood as part of this process by outside initiatives.