The claim that the historic tsunami of recognition of the State of Palestine came as a result of Hamas's attacks in October 2023 is false. Ironically, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Arab extremists alike repeat this narrative.

Netanyahu describes the recognition and the two-state solution as a reward for Hamas, intended to incite Israeli public opinion and embarrass the US administration.

Hamas extremists also claim that  recognition is a reward for October 7. The truth, however, is quite the opposite. Hamas launched a broad attack to thwart the two-state solution project that Saudi Arabia was negotiating with the administration of former US President Joe Biden. Washington had made the signing of a security agreement with Riyadh conditional on recognition of Israel, and Saudi Arabia had set a price for this: the establishment of a Palestinian state, and began negotiations.

Nonetheless, a few months later, Hamas launched its broad attack, fully aware that this attack would be followed by an Israeli war and the sabotage of the negotiations. It has become clear that Hamas's decision, like the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, originates in Tehran, which is always determined to prevent any political progress that would hinder its empowerment in the region as a dominant state.

Hamas, along with the Iranian axis, has a long record of sabotaging all peace efforts, which serve the aspirations of Israeli extremists. Hamas leaders also oppose any political project that could lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Hamas sabotaged the "Road Map" in 2003 with two separate bus bombings that killed forty Israelis. Hamas succeeded again in sabotaging the Annapolis conference in 2007, and then disrupted the Trump peace plan in 2020 by carrying out three separate attacks on Israel .

The October 2023 attack left a vacuum: Israel’s role

This time, with its attack on October 7, 2023, Hamas managed to destroy itself and its allies, led by Hezbollah, the Assad regime, and Iran. In this regional vacuum, Netanyahu seeks to maximise his gains by destroying Gaza and annexing the West Bank. It was also in this dangerous vacuum that the two-state solution proposed by Saudi Arabia was to be implemented.

Israel has to race between two projects: Netanyahu's aim to liquidate the Palestinian cause by formally annexing the West Bank and obtaining the support and backing of the US administration. There is also the Saudi Arabian project, for which France was the first to declare support. Saudi Arabia wants to mobilise international support for the establishment of a Palestinian state. A heated diplomatic battle has been raging for months, resulting in the recognition of Palestine as a state by more than 155 countries.

Before this historic moment, the Israeli government launched a series of threats to stop the vote at the United Nations, increased restrictions on Gaza and deprived its residents of food and medicine, and expanded its military operations. Israel also turned its attention to the West Bank, disrupting banking activities, threatening to collapse the banking and economic systems, and turning a blind eye to settler attacks on West Bank residents. Israel also allowed further construction of illegal settlements and succeeded in preventing the Palestinian president from participating in the United Nations.

Nevertheless, the Saudi and French diplomatic mobilisation process continued, culminating in the recognition of Palestine by Britain, France, Canada, and Australia—the four countries closest to the US and Israel.

However, these historic diplomatic successes are only the beginning of the road. They will infuriate Arab and Israeli extremists, who will work to create chaos and derail the Palestinian state. The attack on the Allenby Crossing - which is between Jordan and the West Bank- in which two people were killed aimed to undermine this project, whether orchestrated by Hamas, Iran, or others.

Israeli extremists are waiting for any attacks from Hamas and its allies to move to the next step: annexing the West Bank and eliminating the Palestinian Authority.

The region is experiencing a new phase because most  Palestinians and Arabs have come to believe in the two-state solution, which explicitly means recognising the State of Israel as well, and ending eighty years of conflict, chaos, and hatred.

This is a significant development, and it will not be achieved easily. The Saudi project may require the support and adoption of the idea by the US administration. If President Trump pulls this off, he will be a worthy winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Photo: Will the Israel- Gaza war change the Middle East? (By Adobe)