Daijiworld Media Network- Jerusalem 

Jerusalem, Sep 3: Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday sharply criticised nations that have announced plans to formally recognise Palestine as an independent state, saying such moves reflect an attitude of abandoning others to face terrorism. 

Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Netanyahu shared an old interview in which he used a metaphor about two men confronted by a grizzly bear. “To those who call to recognize a terrorist state next to Israel. Listen to prime minister Netanyahu, he was right then, he is right now,” he wrote.  

In the clip, Netanyahu recounted: “There’s a story about two people walking in the forest when a grizzly bear charges at them. One man starts running, and the other asks, ‘Why are you running? You can’t outrun a grizzly bear.’ To which the first replies, ‘I don’t have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you.’”   

Netanyahu argued that some Western nations adopt this approach by believing they can escape the threat of terrorism while leaving others exposed. “But in fact, no one can outrun it. The only way is to face it together and defeat it,” he added. 

On Tuesday, Belgium became the latest country to announce recognition of Palestine. France, the UK, Canada, and Australia have already signalled intentions to follow suit. A majority of the UN’s 193 member states currently recognise Palestine, with Spain, Ireland and Norway formalising recognition last year. 

Israel, strongly backed by the United States, has opposed the move, maintaining that recognition of Palestinian statehood outside a negotiated settlement would undermine Israel’s security.