Palestinian Authority thanks Germany for spurning Netanyahu's 'Greater Israel' map

The Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed Germany's rejection of a UNGA speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where he showed a map of Israel covering the entire area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. 

Both Germany and the US, strong allies of Israel, expressed reservations towards Netanyahu's map that omitted the Palestinian Territory and appeared to be another rejection of the two-state solution.

"Showing a map that does not depict territories that are occupied or annexed, so to speak, is something that we naturally reject and that is of no help with regard to the efforts to reach a negotiated two-state solution," German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer said. 

This stance was warmly welcomed by Ramallah.

"The [Palestinian] Foreign Ministry thanks the German foreign ministry spokesman for not accepting this lie and misinformation," the Palestinian foreign ministry said in a statement. 

"The ministry demands from the rest of countries to clarify their position regarding Netanyahu's policies of annexation and confiscation." 

We welcome Germany’s rejection of Benjamin Netenyahu’s display of a map before the UNGA that obliterates Palestine and implies its annexation.

As annexation constitutes a grave violation of international law, Germany’s reaction reaffirms the international community’s… pic.twitter.com/2Wc2cNE9oa

— Laith Arafeh 🇵🇸 (@ArafehLaith) September 26, 2023

US Department of State spokesperson Matthew Miller also reaffirmed Washington's support for a two-state solution.

"I'm not going to get into any discussion about the map that the prime minister chose to use. I will say that the President has been clear that the United States will continue to support a two-state solution," Miller told journalists. 

Netanyahu's stunt at the UNGA comes amid a warming of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia - with both countries believed to be on course to establish formal diplomatic relations. 

On Tuesday, the Saudi ambassador to the Palestinian Authority arrived in Ramallah for talks with Palestinian officials. 

Ambassador Naif Al-Sudairi met on Wednesday with Palestinian prime minister Muhammad Shtayeh.