Indonesia condemns Israel's rejection of a Palestinian state

Jakarta, July 19 (ANTARA) - Indonesia has strongly condemned the resolution rejecting the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state adopted by the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, on Thursday.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry on Friday, Israel's decision effectively undermines efforts to realize the two-state solution to resolve the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict.

"The two-state solution remains the only viable path to peace in Palestine and in the region," the ministry said via social media.

The ministry also affirmed that Indonesia remains committed to the implementation of the two-state solution.

The resolution rejecting Palestinian statehood was approved overwhelmingly by Knesset members with a 68-9 vote. It was passed ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington D.C. to meet President Joe Biden and address the US Congress.

The resolution declared that the establishment of a Palestinian state "in the heart of the Land of Israel" would pose an "existential danger to the State of Israel and its citizens."

The international community was swift to condemn the Israeli parliament's move.

The United Nations (UN) declared that the two-state solution "cannot be voted away." Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, through UN spokesperson, Stephan Dujarric, expressed his disappointment with the Israeli legislation.

"It's clear you cannot vote away the two-state solution," Dujarric told reporters.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that the two-state solution, under which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side, is the "only future" for resolving the decades-long conflict.

"Without that, peace will be nearly impossible to achieve," she emphasized.

The French, Turkey, and Jordan governments also condemned the resolution. They affirmed that the two-state solution is the only way to forge peace between Israel and Palestine.