Israel calls UN push for Palestinian statehood a ‘charade,’ warns of consequences

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, dismissed the General Assembly’s conference on the question of Palestine as a “charade,” confirming that Israel would boycott the meeting and warning that recognition moves would carry consequences. Speaking to reporters at U.N. headquarters just ahead of a high-level session on implementing a two-state solution, Danon said Israel would not engage in the debate, accusing supporters of recognition of “supporting terrorism rather than promoting peace.” “We will not participate in this charade. We will not enter the GA Hall, and we will not take part,” he said.

Framing the day’s developments as a test of international will, France pledged to recognize a Palestinian state at the General Assembly on Tuesday, joining a slate of Israel’s longtime Western allies who have done so in recent months. France became the first major Western nuclear power and a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council from the G7 to formally recognize Palestine. Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom announced their support on Sunday. Norway, Spain, Portugal and Ireland have done so in recent months. They cited Israeli settlement expansion and settler violence.

“They feel they are doing something, but they are not promoting peace. On the contrary, they are supporting terrorism,” Danon said of the nations who recognized Palestine. “There will be consequences for that,” he promised. He did not specify what measures might follow, but he did not rule out Israel extending its rule to parts of the West Bank. He described the issue as a matter for the government, noting that a forthcoming meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump on Sept. 29 would shape Israel’s response. Danon said Israel is coordinating its reply with the United States, and that Washington would also join the boycott of the General Assembly’s two-state solution session.

In a broader UN moment, French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the same gathering, argued that Gaza’s trauma requires action beyond symbolism. “Nothing justifies the ongoing war in Gaza,” Macron said. He added later that “the time has come to no longer talk about the existence of Israel — it’s self-evident. The time has come to do justice to the Palestinians, to recognize the state of Palestine.” The comments underscored a widening divide between those pressed to move quickly toward Palestinian statehood and Israel’s governance choices as the conflict with Hamas endures.

The push for a Palestinian state has gained traction among several European capitals and some other partners in the past year, as concerns about settlement expansion and settler violence have intensified. European nations protesting Israel’s war in Gaza have recognized a Palestinian state, and the trend includes countries that have argued for a more active U.N. role in advancing a two-state framework. The Israeli government, however, has argued that peace requires security guarantees and a defined end to the current war, a stance it says the recognition move does not address.

Separately, Hamas has drafted a letter to President Donald Trump requesting a 60-day cease-fire in exchange for the release of a portion of hostages still in captivity, Fox News has learned. The development comes amid growing frustration in Washington over stalled peace efforts, with Trump planning to convene a meeting with Arab leaders to press Netanyahu to end the Gaza war.

The unfolding dynamics come as the United Nations prepares a high-level session on implementing a two-state solution, a framework that has defined much of the international approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for years. Supporters of recognition say it would create international momentum toward statehood, while opponents argue that unilateral steps without durable cease-fires and security guarantees risk destabilizing the region further. Israel’s calculated response, including a potential redrawing of governance across parts of the West Bank, signals a complicated moment for diplomacy as Washington seeks to navigate its own alliance calculus in the Middle East.

As the international community weighs next steps, the conversation centers on whether recognition moves translate into pressure for an immediate cease-fire, renewed talks, or a broader reshaping of ground rules in a volatile theater where civilian suffering and military operations continue to intersect. The day’s events at the United Nations will influence the tone of any forthcoming discussions between Netanyahu, Trump, and their regional partners, even as leaders on both sides emphasize that the path to a sustainable peace remains elusive.