Netanyahu Plans Israeli Control Over Postwar Palestine

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan for a postwar Palestine outlines complete control over the West Bank and Gaza. The plan states Israel would have “security control over the entire area west of [the] Jordan [River], including the Gaza border area,” and that it would take control of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, “based on measures necessary to prevent smuggling from Egypt both under and above ground, including at the Rafah crossing.”

Yesterday, Israel’s unicameral legislature, the Knesset, voted 99 to 21 to approve a declaration opposing the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

After the vote, Netanyahu stated on X:

In a historic decision, the Knesset united overwhelmingly in support of my proposal, with 99 of 120 members voting against the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. This landmark vote underscores our collective resolve: We will not reward terrorism by unilateral recognition in response to the October 7 massacre, nor will we accept imposed solutions. This strong stance sends a powerful message to the world: Peace and security for Israel will be achieved through negotiations, not through unilateral actions. Today, we stand united more than ever.

After the vote, opposition leader Yair Lapid stated that the declaration was a distraction, and that he didn’t believe the United States or other world leaders would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, saying:

“As you know, my connections with the Americans are better than yours, so I checked. There’s no such thing. You invented a threat that doesn’t exist. What are we talking about? There is not one official in the world that suggested unilateral recognition of the Palestinians.”