Building a State with Terror

Building a State with Terror                                

by Shimon Eliyahu

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12)

France, the U.K., New Zealnd, and Canada all announced that they intend to recognize Palestinian statehood next month in a coordinated effort to push Israel into an unfavorable end to the war.

The statements follow a widespread media blitz on hunger in Gaza and renewed food aid efforts beyond the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s distribution sites. The poor conditions in Gaza, reinforced by widely shared images of emaciated children, elicited a global response condemning Israel for intentionally starving Gaza’s Palestinians.

Israel rejected the accusations, citing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s efforts, the UN’s failure to distribute stockpiled aid, and Hamas’ role in hijacking shipments and prolonging the war by holding hostages. It also became clear that several of the most disturbing images of starving children in the media depicted cases where pre-existing health conditions had worsened their appearance.

Under these conditions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said global recognition of a Palestinian state would reward “terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.”

But reason and logic have long since stopped being heard. A surge of votes to recognize a Palestinian state is expected at the U.N. General Assembly next month—a largely symbolic move that sends a clearer message of international opposition to Israel than of genuine intent to relieve Palestinian suffering.

Two-State Expectations

Evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13)

The Western-led push for Palestinian statehood at the U.N. next month is undermined by unrealistic conditions attached and the hypocrisy of those demanding them.

The conditions attached to each proposal, however politically patronizing, are worth a closer look.

The most politically palatable proposal came from the U.K., which said it would recognize a Palestinian State unless Israel allowed the full resumption of U.N. aid deliveries, agreed to a lasting ceasefire, and committed to no further annexations in the West Bank. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said his country’s recognition will count on the Palestinian Authority holding elections in 2026 and making significant democratic reforms. The Palestinian Authority has a history of deep corruption and abuse of power, and it’s doubtful that Palestinians would recognize the organization’s authority, even with so-called reforms. In a statement on X, French President Emmanuel Macron said France will recognize Palestinian statehood without naming prior conditions, but called for the eventual state of Palestine to accept demilitarization and to fully recognize Israel.

Every proposal demands that Hamas release hostages and disarm, yet treats these as afterthoughts. In reality, they are essential prerequisites for any lasting peace, not conditions to be met once statehood is handed over. Not to mention, anyone paying attention knows that Hamas does not negotiate in good faith and will use terror to manipulate the odds in its favor at every opportunity.

A rare recognition of that truth emerged from the entire Arab League last Tuesday in a joint declaration condemning October 7, urging Hamas to disarm, release the hostages, and end its rule over the Gaza Strip. The declaration, also backed by the E.U., is intended to set the stage for an eventual demilitarized Palestinian state.

Even that option, however, is too far for the United States. To counter what he called a “publicity stunt,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that the U.S. rejects any notion of a two-state solution, and that pushing for one now “only emboldens Hamas.”

The Fruits of October 7

You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. (Matthew 7:16–18)

Hamas political leader Ghazi Hamed celebrated the growing recognition of Palestinian statehood, crediting it to their October 7 terror attack on Israel.

“The initiative by several countries to recognize a Palestinian state is one of the fruits of October 7. We proved that victory over Israel is not impossible, and our weapons are a symbol of Palestinian dignity,” Hamed said in an Al-Jazeera interview.

Predictably, a Hamas statement also clarified that they would not relinquish control of Gaza, and would only disarm until an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian State was recognized with Jerusalem as its capital. It’s absurd to believe that the terror group that has executed political opponents and terrorized its own people would simply hand over its authority to the Palestinian Authority, as proposed by the European countries.

The entire situation is built on such a deep and willful misunderstanding of Islamic terror that it requires the suspension of logic and reason to understand. Within their own borders, the very states in question struggle to contain the spread of radical Islam. France, the first to announce a vote of Palestinian statehood, recently halted its program to adopt refugees from Gaza after a resettled Palestinian woman said she wanted to “kill all the Jews” on social media.

The hate for Israel and the Jews will not be exchanged for political grandstands and a seat at the table in the United Nations. Quite the opposite. Every appeasement and concession granted by the world at Israel’s expense is viewed as another victory and step toward the eradication of the State of Israel and the Jewish people.

As if more proof were needed, even after the announcements from France, the U.K., and Canada, Hamas released a video of hostage Evyatar David, pale, skeletal, and digging a grave in a Hamas tunnel. A reasonable person might think that such a horrifying video should immediately scuttle talks of Palestinian statehood and redouble the efforts to pressure Hamas into freeing the hostages. But we do not live in a reasonable world.

Where does that leave us? The Messianic Jewish community is not immune to the global tug of war over Israel. The Messiah Yeshua demands that we feed the hungry, care for the sick, and intercede on behalf of the downtrodden. Are we satisfied with supporting the current status quo of endless war and human suffering?

Certainly not. Our vision is unwavering, and the path forward is clear. We support the existence of the State of Israel, not because our hope rests in its modern iteration, beleaguered by its own corruption, division, and mismanagement.

We affirm Israel today as a step toward the Israel of tomorrow—one from where the justice and righteousness of the Torah shines forth as a beacon of light to the nations under the kingship of Yeshua the Messiah.

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