Sebastian Usher
BBC Live / September 22, 2025
Yair Lapid, leader of the opposition in Israel and a critic of Netanyahu’s expanded operation in Gaza, condemned the UK, Australia and Canada for recognising a Palestinian state
There are many divisions among Israeli politicians over the policies and strategy of the Netanyahu government, but there seems to be consensus over rejecting any current recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Yair Golan has been one of the most outspoken critics of the government’s war against Hamas in Gaza, but he has described “talking about a Palestinian state” as “destructive”.
And the main opposition leader, Yair Lapid, condemned the announcements by the UK, Canada and Australia as a “diplomatic disaster”.
Other opposition figures echoed the government’s line that it is a “reward for terror”.
The unanimity across the political divide in Israel illustrates yet again how far there is to go to getting anywhere near the two-state solution, which so much of the international community still champions.
Sebastian Usher – Middle East analyst
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How have other politicians in Israel reacted ?
Tom Bennett
BBC Live / September 21, 2025
Reaction from other political figures inside Israel has been a mix of anger and disappointment.
Two of the most hardline figures in Netanyahu’s government, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have responded by calling for Israel to assert “sovereignty” over the West Bank.
The pair, who are both ultranationalists who live in West Bank settlements, have previously been sanctioned by the UK for inciting violence against Palestinians.
On the other side of Israel’s parliament, opposition leader Yair Lapid says the UK and others have made “a bad step” but lays the blame with Netanyahu, saying “a functioning Israeli government could have prevented this”.
“The government that brought upon us the terrible security disaster in our history is now bringing upon us also the most severe diplomatic crisis ever,” he wrote on X.
Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats party, said: “Unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state is a grave political failure by Netanyahu and Smotrich, and a destructive move for Israel’s security.”
Tom Bennett – reporting from Ramallah
