Israel told four European countries on Monday that their plan to work toward recognition of a Palestinian state constituted a “prize for terrorism” that would reduce the chances of a negotiated resolution to the conflict between the neighbours.
Spain said on Friday that, in the name of Middle East peace, it had agreed with Ireland, Malta and Slovenia to take first steps toward recognising statehood declared by the Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in the Gaza Strip.
Gaza has long been under the rule of the Islamist group Hamas, which rejects peace with Israel and attacked it on Oct 7, triggering a devastating war that has stoked violence in the West Bank, where Israel has extensive Jewish settlements.
“Recognition of a Palestinian state following the October 7 massacre sends a message to Hamas and the other Palestinian terrorist organizations that murderous terror attacks on Israelis will be reciprocated with political gestures to the Palestinians,” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on X.
“A resolution of the conflict will only be possible through direct negotiations between the parties. Any engagement in the recognition of a Palestinian state only distances reaching a resolution and increases regional instability.”
He did not specify what kind of resolution he had in mind. Israel, whose governing coalition includes pro-settlement far-rightists, has long ruled out Palestinian statehood. That has put it at loggerheads with Western powers which support its goal of defeating Hamas but want a post-war diplomatic blueprint.
US Supreme Court abortion pill fight brings claims of distorted science
The abortion opponents who are seeking to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to limit access to the abortion pill mifepristone point to three studies by Gynuity Health Projects, a New York-based women’s health research group, to back up their arguments that it is unsafe despite its regulatory approval decades ago.
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The Kremlin said on Monday that no country was immune to terrorism when asked if there had been a major failure by security services in preventing Friday’s deadly attack on a concert hall, the worst attack inside Russia for two decades.
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The European Union’s flagship policy to restore damaged nature is hanging in the balance, with a vote to pass the law on Monday cancelled after Hungary withdrew its support for the bill.
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The Kremlin said on Monday it was not taking part in discussions about restoring the death penalty, broached by top allies of President Vladimir Putin in the wake of the Russia’s deadliest attack in two decades.
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Hungary is likely to submit a law amending central bank regulations to parliament in the autumn, its economy minister said on Monday, delaying changes that have pushed the forint to a one-year low and raised concern over the bank’s independence.
