Recognition of Palestine by Israel might provoke independent measures

In recent developments, Israel has approved a new West Bank settlement known as E1, a move that has sparked concern and controversy both domestically and internationally. The E1 settlement, located east of Jerusalem, has been a contentious issue for many years, with the international community considering all Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory as illegal under international law.

The approval of E1 has been met with strong opposition from several countries, including France and Britain, who have pledged to recognize a Palestinian state at the 80th U.N. General Assembly this month. This move comes as a response to Israel's ongoing settlement expansion in the West Bank, a practice that has long been a source of tension in the region.

Israel's foreign minister, Gideon Saar, has branded the international push to recognize Palestinian statehood a "mistake." He stated that following through on such plans would make it "harder to get to the peace." Saar also warned that such recognition could trigger an unspecified unilateral response from Israel.

The far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has been vocal about his intentions for the E1 settlement. He aims to annex 82 percent of the West Bank and has stated that the E1 project, as he put it, aims to "bury the idea of a Palestinian state." On Sept. 3, Smotrich further declared that annexing large parts of the West Bank would remove the idea of dividing Israel and establishing a Palestinian state.

Copenhagen has expressed concern about settlement expansionism in the West Bank. Despite this, the Danish top diplomat, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, has stated that Denmark is not ready to recognize a Palestinian state. Rasmussen added that Israel does not have a veto over any Danish recognition of a Palestinian state.

The ongoing conflict in Gaza and violence in the West Bank have also been a part of the ongoing narrative. Gideon Saar has expressed concerns that the recognition of a Palestinian state could destabilize the region and push Israel to take unilateral decisions.

Despite the lack of a new standalone fact from the context of the country Palestine due to a lack of specific information, it is clear that the international community is closely watching the developments in the region and the decisions being made by Israel. The approval of the E1 settlement and the potential recognition of a Palestinian state by several countries promise to shape the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in significant ways.