The Israeli Knesset voted on a decision to reject the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, "to prevent the perpetuation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the destabilization of the region." "Russia Today" reported, citing the "Times of Israel," that 68 members voted in favor of the decision and 9 opposed it. The resolution states that "the Knesset strongly opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River," and considers that "the establishment of a Palestinian state in the heart of the land of Israel would pose an existential threat to the state of Israel and its citizens, and would lead to the continuation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and destabilization of the region."
Earlier, Dmitry Polyansky, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated that "the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is a necessary condition for achieving peace in the Middle East." He added, "Russia has always called for a stable negotiation process on the platform agreed upon by the United Nations, which should lead to the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state that lives peacefully and securely alongside Israel." He emphasized that "Russia is ready to continue constructive communication with all concerned parties and to keep contributing to the Israeli-Palestinian settlement," adding that "it is essential, first and foremost, to stop the bloodshed and prevent the escalation of the conflict so that it does not encompass the entire region. Otherwise, this conflict will never end."
