by Tovah Lazaroff, Eliav Breuer
Israel Katz: “I've instructed the immediate recall of Israel’s ambassadors... in light of these countries' decisions to recognize a Palestinian state."
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Israel recalled its ambassadors from Ireland, Spain and Norway to protest the declarations by those countries that they recognize Palestine as a state.
The ambassadors of those three countries have also been summoned to the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem.
'Sending a clear and unequivocal message'
“I’m sending a clear and unequivocal message to Ireland and Norway: Israel will not remain silent in the face of those undermining its sovereignty and endangering its security,” Israel's Foreign Minister Irsael Katz wrote in a post on X.
“Today’s decision sends a message to the Palestinians and the world: Terrorism pays,” Katz said as he explained that it was problematic to take such a step in the aftermath of the Hamas-led invasion of Israel on October 7.
There were Over 1,200 people killed and 252 seized as hostages in that attack.
Katz wrote that “after the Hamas terror organization carried out the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, after committing heinous sexual crimes witnessed by the world, these countries chose to reward Hamas and Iran by recognizing a Palestinian state.”
“This distorted step by these countries is an injustice to the memory of the victims of 7/10, a blow to efforts to return the 128 hostages, and a boost to Hamas and Iran's jihadists, which undermines the chance for peace and questions Israel’s right to self-defense,” Katz wrote.
He warned other countries not to follow suit.
“Israel will not remain silent - there will be further severe consequences. If Spain follows through on its intention to recognize a Palestinian state, a similar step will be taken against it.
“The Irish-Norwegian folly does not deter us; we are determined to achieve our goals: restoring security to our citizens, dismantling Hamas, and bringing the hostages home. There are no more just causes than these,” he wrote.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, (Religious Zionist Party) called on Netanyahu to authorize six punitive measures against Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority, including withholding of tax fees and accelerated West Bank settlement construction.
At issue for him, was also the announcement by the International Criminal Court Chief Justice Karim Khan on Monday of his pursuit to obtain arrest warrants against Hamas and Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.Smotrich called on Netanyahu to convene the Higher Planning Council for Judea and Samaria to approve the construction of 10,000 new Jewish homes in Area C of the West Bank, including in the contentious E1 area of the Ma’aleh Adumim settlement.The government, Smotrich said, should agree that three new settlements will be approved for every country that recognizes Palestinian statehood.It should, Smotrich insisted, also cancel the "Norway Agreement” approved in January by which tax fees monthly tax fees of 270 million shekels earmarked for Gaza would held in escrow by Norway. Oslo would in turn transfer the funds to the PA, in the form of a loan. Smotrich targeted this agreement in particular because Norway had recognized Palestinian statehood.
Smotrich urged the government to advance a decision to strengthen West Bank settlements and to cancel the VIP travel permits for senior PA officials.He also announced that he intended to stop transferring to the PA, the tax fees which Israel collects on its behalf.
Tovah Lazaroff, Eliav Breuer
Source: https://www.jpost.com/international/article-802167
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