A wave of international recognitions of a Palestinian state has prompted bitter and almost unanimous condemnation across the political spectrum in Israel, uniting political foes and, analysts said, potentially reinforcing the ruling coalition’s grip on power.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli’s prime minister, called the moves an “absurdity” on Sunday night, and a “reward for terrorism”, while Israel’s president said the “forces of darkness” would be emboldened.
Opposition leaders have used similar language. Yair Lapid, who heads the centrist Yesh Atid party, described “a diplomatic disaster, a bad move and a reward for terror”.
But there was little prospect of Israel’s government changing course as a result of the recognitions, experts said.
“This will not have one millimetre of influence on policymaking,” said Yaakov Amidror, a former national security adviser to Netanyahu and analyst at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies, a conservative thinktank.
Netanyahu leads the most far-right government in Israel’s history and his coalition is in part dependent on the continuing support of extremist religious Zionist factions, which have a messianic vision of Israel’s destiny, and ultra-Orthodox religious parties.
At this point, if you aren’t already boycotting the US, no matter where you live, I’d go so far to say that you’re being an irresponsible adult.