Prime Minister Netanyahu has come under criticism following his presentation of a map during the United Nations General Assembly plenum on Friday, which depicted the West Bank and Gaza as part of “greater Israel.”
The Palestinian Authority’s representative to Germany, Laith Arafeh, expressed his disapproval on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “No greater insult to every foundational principle of the UN than seeing Netanyahu display before the UNGA a ‘map of Israel’ that straddles the entire land from the river to the sea.” Arafeh argued that by using this map, Netanyahu was effectively negating “Palestine and its people” while attempting to present a narrative of “peace” in the region, all the while solidifying what Arafeh described as the longest ongoing belligerent occupation in the world today.
Arafeh added, quoting President Mahmoud Abbas, “Delusional are those who think peace in the region is possible without the realization of the full legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”
During his UN speech, Netanyahu displayed two maps.
The first map aimed to depict the 1948 geographical context, highlighting Israel’s isolation in the Middle East with green coloring.
The second map, representing the year 2023, showcased seven countries in green, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, to illustrate Israel’s growing regional alliances, particularly in light of potential normalization with Saudi Arabia.
However, the controversial aspect of Netanyahu’s presentation was that the map encompassed territory that Palestinians view as part of their state, encompassing the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. While Israel maintains sovereignty over East Jerusalem, the West Bank is divided into Areas A and B under the Palestinian Authority’s governance and Area C, which is under IDF military authority.
The Israeli Right, including some members of Netanyahu’s government, has expressed a desire to annex Area C. Israel had agreed to suspend annexation plans as part of the Abraham Accords.
Netanyahu employed this map to symbolize a “new era of peace” in the Middle East.
Hadar Susskind, CEO of Americans for Peace Now, posted on X that “Netanyahu is returning to his government of fascists, felons, and fundamentalists, which in both action and words contradicts his bogus rhetoric of peace.” Susskind concluded that Netanyahu’s map of Greater Israel was the only truthful aspect of his speech.