Danny Danon says ‘disconnected’ countries want to ‘show they’re doing something’ at next month’s UN General Assembly, though move won’t have any impact beyond ‘hindering’ hostage talks. Even before Western leaders began announcing plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly next month, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was poised to be at the top of the confab’s agenda.
The Gaza war could well be nearing a grim second-year anniversary then, with dozens of hostages abducted during the Hamas-led attack that began the conflict still in captivity and the Palestinian death toll continuing to mount in the war-ravaged enclave.
“These countries want to show that they are doing something, so they blow off steam by coming up with these declarative statements,” Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said in a Wednesday interview with The Times of Israel, referring to the plans of France, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada to recognize the state of Palestine.
The Israeli envoy argued that the announcements won’t actually advance the establishment of a Palestinian state on the ground, which Jerusalem vehemently opposes. What they have practically impacted, though, are the negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Gaza Strip, Danon said. “I have no doubt that these decisions are hindering the negotiations,” he asserted, noting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made the same argument. (Read More)
