Benjamin Netanyahu has once again made it clear where he stands on the Palestinian question, and it is not in favor of peace. Speaking to his cabinet ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, the Israeli prime minister declared that the idea of a Palestinian state is not only unacceptable but a direct threat to Israel’s survival.
Rewarding terrorism or silencing a people?
Netanyahu’s words were sharp: he described a Palestinian state as an “absurd reward for terrorism.” But this framing ignores the reality on the ground. For decades, Palestinians have lived under military occupation, denied the very independence Israel itself once fought for. Calling their demand for sovereignty “terrorism” is not just political spin, it’s a way of shutting down any conversation about justice, rights, or equality.
A strategy that never changes
This is not new rhetoric from Netanyahu. For years, he has portrayed Palestine not as a legitimate nation in the making but as an existential danger that must be contained. By painting statehood as a threat, he positions Israel as the eternal victim, even while it remains the regional powerhouse, armed and supported by the West. The narrative works well in Israeli politics and at home in the U.S. Congress, but internationally it looks like Israel is refusing any serious roadmap to peace.
The UN stage once again
Netanyahu’s promise to fight the idea of Palestine at the UN is part of a familiar script. Every year, Palestinian leaders push for recognition, and every year Israel pushes back. Yet the longer this cycle continues, the more it exposes the world to the simple truth: Israel will never willingly allow a Palestinian state. That reality turns the two-state solution from a hope into a slogan, a diplomatic illusion with no political will behind it.
The bigger cost
By dismissing Palestine as a “threat,” Netanyahu is not just rejecting negotiations. He is deepening mistrust, hardening resentment, and ensuring that violence will continue to fill the vacuum left by failed diplomacy. For Palestinians, the message is clear: their struggle for statehood will not be recognized, no matter how long they wait or how many international resolutions support them.
