Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state with certain conditions and guarantees.<br /><br />Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, made the remarks after Norway, Ireland, and Spain announced Wednesday that they would recognize Palestine as a state starting May 28, 2024.<br /><br />However, Lapid blamed National Security Minister Ben-Gvir for preventing Netanyahu from adopting the measure, the local daily 'Yedioth Ahronoth' reported.<br /><br />He criticized the extremist Ben-Gvir, who “did not allow” Netanyahu to announce his readiness to recognize Palestine as a state, and described the current situation as “the madness we are experiencing.”<br /><br />"Netanyahu must declare that, under certain conditions and special guarantees, he is willing to accept a future Palestinian state that participates in the fight against terrorism," he said.<br /><br />However, Lapid did not explain in detail in the press conference the conditions, guarantees, or cooperative nature of the proposed Palestinian state.<br /><br />"This will not happen with this government. We need to replace Netanyahu's government and form an effective government," stressed Lapid.<br /><br />Since 2022, Israel has been governed by a right-wing coalition led by Netanyahu, which strongly rejects the idea of creating a Palestinian state.<br /><br />However, the announcement from the three European countries was in line with a statement by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell about Palestinian rights and ending the ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip.<br /><br />The announcement by the three European countries comes as Israel continues its brutal attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.<br /><br />Palestine has been recognized by eight European countries, namely Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Sweden, Greece, and Cyprus.
