Israel opposition urges Netanyahu to recognise Palestinian state 'under conditions’

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid yesterday urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept Palestine as a state under certain conditions and guarantees, Anadolu reported.

Lapid, a centrist Yesh Atid Party leader, made his comments after Norway, Ireland, and Spain announced that they would recognise Palestine as a state effective from 28 May.

Blaming National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for preventing Netanyahu from adopting a similar position, Lapid said: “Netanyahu should declare that under certain conditions and specific guarantees, he is willing to accept a future Palestinian state that joins in fighting terrorism.”

He did not give details of what the conditions and guarantees should be, or the nature of the cooperation from the proposed Palestinian state.

Criticising extremist Ben-Gvir, the opposition leader said he “does not allow” Netanyahu to announce his readiness to recognise Palestine as a state, describing the current situation as “the madness we are living in.”

Palestine is already recognised by eight European countries: Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Sweden and the Greek Cypriot administration.

READ: Yair Lapid highlights importance of unity amid Israeli society’s divisions