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This September, the United Nations is expected to take up the issue of recognizing Palestine as a member state. For Israel, this moment is not just another diplomatic skirmish—it is a strategic test with potentially far-reaching consequences. Yet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his fractured coalition seem paralyzed, trapped in endless internal fights while offering no coherent vision for Israel’s future. Instead of advancing a plan, Netanyahu is gambling on improvisation and Washington’s veto pen. Such complacency risks turning a manageable challenge into a full-blown diplomatic disaster.
Recognition of Palestine is no longer a fringe cause. More than 140 nations already recognize a Palestinian state, and momentum is building within Europe and beyond. Even if full UN membership remains blocked at the Security Council, a General Assembly vote would carry enormous symbolic and political weight. It would strengthen Palestinian claims in international forums, embolden hostile campaigns such as boycotts and sanctions, and further delegitimize Israel’s standing in the eyes of many nations.
Netanyahu’s response so far has been depressingly predictable: condemnations of “one-sided moves,” reliance on the U.S. veto, and fiery rhetoric aimed at his domestic base. But this is not strategy—it is stagnation. By defaulting to rejectionism without offering any credible alternative, Israel cedes the diplomatic initiative and reinforces the global perception that it has no interest in shaping a just and sustainable peace.
The leadership vacuum in Jerusalem is glaring. Netanyahu is consumed by his corruption trial, the survival of his coalition, and his campaign to neuter Israel’s judiciary. His ministers are more preoccupied with culture-war battles and pandering to their constituencies than with foreign policy. As the Palestinian Authority advances its recognition drive with growing international sympathy, Israel projects the image of a state divided, defensive, and adrift.
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