Israel’s Hostage and Missing Families Forum condemned the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia Sunday for recognizing a Palestinian state while there are still Israeli hostages in captivity in Gaza.
The three Commonwealth countries joined a diplomatic push led originally by France. Other western nations, including Portugal, are also joining in — despite the ongoing war and the lack of a constitution or boundaries for the Palestinian state.
The Israeli government condemned the decision, calling it one-sided and destructive to future negotiations:
The Forum, the official organization representing the families of Israeli hostages, does not usually agree with the Israeli government. It has opposed the continued war in Gaza in favor of a hostage deal.
Nevertheless, the Forum spoke out, saying these countries were rewarding terror:
As families who deeply want peace in the region, we believe that any discussion about recognizing a Palestinian state must be contingent upon the immediate release of all hostages. This is not just a precondition—it is a moral and humanitarian imperative.
We call on all nations to act responsibly and ensure that any “day after” discussions occur only after our loved ones are brought home. We seek an end to this war, the safe return of all hostages, and a sustainable peace that benefits both peoples.
Any nation that fails to uphold this essential prerequisite acts against international law and effectively enables terrorism while legitimizing the October 7th massacre. Offering such significant political rewards without securing the return of all 48 of our loved ones represents a catastrophic failure of political, moral, and diplomatic leadership that will severely damage efforts to bring them all home.
Many of the residents of the Israeli communities near Gaza that were devastated by the terror attack of October 7, 2023, were peace activists and favored a two-state solution. They were the first to be murdered.
There are still 48 hostages remaining in Gaza; of those, 20 of them, at most, are still thought to be alive.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Zionist Conspiracy Wants You, now available on Amazon. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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