Former Shin Bet Chief: Recognizing the State of Palestine Could Contribute to Ending the War

The British newspaper "The Times" published a report stating that the former head of the Israeli internal intelligence service considered Britain's recognition of the Palestinian state as potentially contributing to ending the war in Gaza.

Amir Ayalon said that this step could help find a diplomatic solution to the "conflict" between "Israel" and Hamas by assisting in isolating both sides.

The decision by Keir Starmer to recognize a Palestinian state, alongside France and other countries, has angered "Israel," with Benjamin Netanyahu's government stating that this move rewards Hamas for its attack on October 7, 2023. The United States, still Israel's closest supporter, also rejected it, describing it as a "performative gesture."

However, Ayalon stated that he disagrees with this assessment, telling The Times: "They said it is a great gift to Hamas. It is not a great gift to Hamas. It is a nightmare for Hamas. It is a collapse of their ideology; they will disappear as a major political player."

Ayalon argues that the groups that will not benefit from the recognition are extremist groups like Hamas, which governs Gaza, and the Israeli messianic right, which pushes for the formal annexation of the West Bank and the rebuilding of Jewish settlements in Gaza.

He said: "It is a very clear message to these two extremist and violent groups that have led the region in some way over the past thirty years," adding: "Yes, it will also isolate our government. But our government does not represent Israelis today."

More than 70 percent of them believe that we should end the war and return all hostages to start a negotiation process between us and the Palestinians.

As more of Israel's allies prepare to recognize Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, and with France and Saudi Arabia holding a meeting to reaffirm the value of a two-state solution, Ayalon said that these developments could generate "hope."

He added: "Recognizing a Palestinian state is a very positive declaration and an important message. Everywhere, especially in the Middle East, this has great meaning and value. It is essential to create hope."

Ayalon, 80 years old, was born to Romanian immigrant parents in Palestine under British mandate three years before the establishment of the State of Israel. He received Israel's highest military honor, the Medal of Valor, for his bravery under enemy fire during the 1973 war.

He led the Israeli Navy and then the Israeli General Security Service (Shin Bet) between 1995 and 2000, after the Oslo Accords established a framework for a two-state solution to end decades of conflict. However, the plan has stalled since then, leaving vast areas of the West Bank under full Israeli control.

Since retiring from the head of the Israeli General Security Service (Shin Bet), Ayalon has become a politician and minister in the Israeli Labor Party, opposing Netanyahu's more hardline stance on recognizing a Palestinian state.

He has also become more reflective about his time in the military while fighting against Israel's enemies, which he believes has diminished the prospects for long-term peace and security.

Ayalon spoke about the conflict that has escalated beyond Gaza to strike painful blows against the country's enemies in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen: "The Israeli military campaign since October 7 can be considered 'one of the greatest military victories in history,'" adding: "We still do not realize that there are limits to what can be achieved using military force."

Military leaders are aware of this - they say it loudly and clearly to the Israeli people."

Ayalon was referring to the long line of current and former security officials who have criticized Netanyahu and the war in Gaza, which has claimed the lives of more than 65,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas. Even the current chief of staff of the Israeli army, Eyal Zamir, is said to have warned against the recent attack on Gaza City before it began.

The Mossad, Israel's equivalent of the foreign intelligence service (MI6), is believed to have refused to carry out a recent operation to kill Hamas officials in Qatar while ceasefire negotiations in Gaza were ongoing. Instead, the Israeli army conducted an airstrike that failed to kill senior leaders of the movement but was widely condemned as an attack on a Western ally.

Ayalon commented on the strike: "They (the military leadership) made a decision without considering the regional repercussions that could arise from it," adding that it recalls the failed assassination attempt of Khaled Mashal in 1997, one of Hamas's prominent targets in Doha.

On that occasion, Mossad agents were arrested in Am