Foreign Affairs, Defense C'tee chair says Israel must look like a leader, act wisely with a plan to prevent unilaterally declared Palestine.
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee chair MK Shaul Mofaz (Kadima) warned on Monday that Israel must initiate a plan to combat a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood in the UN this September.
"This is a historically significant time, and we must act wisely and responsibly," Mofaz said. "Israel has to look like a leader, like a country that takes initiative and has what to offer."
Israel has made it clear that "unilateral steps by the Palestinian Authority are not in accordance with previously signed agreements," Mofaz added.
He also expressed concern about "the events of the past few months, like Nakba Day, Naksa and de-legitimization" of Israel.
Palestinian demonstrations on both May's Nakba (Arabic: catastrophe) Day and June's Naksa (Arabic: setback) commemoration of the 1967 Six-Day War saw mass protests across the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Israeli borders with Lebanon and Syria. Both protests also saw Palestinian casualties as protesters attempted to breach the border fence with Israel in Syria and Lebanon on Nakba Day, and Israel's Golan border with Syria on Naksa Day.
"We shouldn't watch historical events from the side; we should be involved, by supervising and considering possible scenarios, and deciding what is in Israel's best interest," Mofaz added.
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