Israel’s UN Envoy: Two-State Dream 'Off the Table' After Hamas Attacks

NEW YORK — On September 22, 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron announced France’s formal recognition of Palestinian statehood during a United Nations General Assembly summit. Just before that declaration, Danny Danon, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, addressed reporters during a media stakeout. Danon expressed firm opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state. He argued that such a step ignores ongoing security challenges for Israel.

Danon described the announcement as ‘theater’ detached from reality. He added, “When Hamas is praising this conference and calling it the fruit of October 7, we know it’s a problem,” referring to earlier comments from senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad. Danon pointed out that world leaders pursued the recognition for domestic political gains, even though 48 hostages captured in the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel remain held in Gaza.

Danon declared that a two-state solution lies ‘off the table’ in the wake of those attacks. “Now we are focused on bringing the hostages,” he explained. “We are focused on eliminating Hamas. And when the day will come that there will be a genuine Palestinian leadership that will condemn terrorism... we will speak with the Palestinians. We are a peaceful nation.”

Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations, offered a contrasting view after the announcement. “First of all, we need to stop this genocidal war against our people in Gaza and to have humanitarian assistance to the people to scale,” Mansour stated. “And then to stop the forced transfer, then to begin the process of reconstruction, and convening the reconstruction conference, and then to widen the door of hope which was celebrated today in the General Assembly hall in order to end this illegal occupation.” He continued, “We need to stay the course and to keep marching toward the national rights of the Palestinian people, which require ending the war and ending the illegal occupation.”