Arsen Ostrovsky: Israel must make clear to other countries, as they have already, that they will not sit idly by in the face of unilateral recognitions of a Palestinian state. Israel did well to reject French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent request to visit Israel, and to revoke visas for Australian representatives in Ramallah.
It is imperative to stress that under international law, primarily the Montevideo Convention of 1933, statehood requires a permanent population, defined territory, effective governance, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states.
The Palestinians meet none of these criteria. Hamas are still the de-facto rulers in Gaza, while Abbas has not held elections in 20 years. Final borders have not been negotiated.
The full interview was published in JNS on September 8, 2025.
