President Donald Trump made it unmistakably clear this week that his administration will not support the creation of a Palestinian state while Hamas remains in power, calling such a move a dangerous act of appeasement that would only embolden terrorism.
Speaking aboard Air Force One Tuesday, Trump was asked whether the U.S. should pressure Israel into long-term negotiations or a so-called two-state solution. The president did not hesitate.
“You could make the case that you’re rewarding people, that you’re rewarding Hamas if you do that,” Trump said. “And I don’t think they should be rewarded. So I’m not in that camp, to be honest… if you do that, you really are rewarding Hamas, and I’m not about to do that.”
Trump on creating a Palestinian state:
“If you do that, you really are rewarding Hamxs, and I’m not about to do that.” pic.twitter.com/knZpcgG1E4
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) July 30, 2025
Trump’s comments come amid a controversial push at a United Nations conference — backed by France and Saudi Arabia — to recognize a Palestinian state. Both French President Emmanuel Macron and new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have publicly voiced support for the move. The timing and substance of the effort have triggered an international firestorm.
Critics say the recognition of Palestinian statehood, while Hamas remains entrenched in Gaza and continues its war against Israel, would not promote peace but rather send a global signal that terrorism can yield political rewards.
Emily Damari, a British-Israeli woman who was held hostage by Hamas for 471 days following the October 7, 2023 massacre, issued a scathing rebuke to Starmer.
“As a Dual British-Israeli citizen who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, I am deeply saddened by your decision… This move does not advance peace — it risks rewarding terror,” she said. “Recognition under these conditions emboldens extremists and undermines any hope for genuine peace. Shame on you.”
As a Dual British-Israeli citizen who survived 471 days in Hamas captivity, I am deeply saddened by your decision @Keir_Starmer to recognise Palestinian statehood. This move does not advance peace—it risks rewarding terror. It sends a dangerous message: that violence earns… https://t.co/G4DF5AWgjT
— Emily Damari (@EmilyDamari1) July 30, 2025
Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee offered a blistering and sarcastic response to Macron’s plans.
“If Macron wants to have a secondary motion here for a state for ‘Palestine,’ I suggest he just give up a part of the French Riviera,” Huckabee quipped during an interview with Christian broadcaster Tony Perkins. “Call it ‘Franc-en-stine.’ That way, Macron gets what he wants.”
Huckabee warned that unilateral recognition from European countries only reinforces Hamas’s intransigence and further complicates peace efforts. “It came at a horrible time. It basically is a reward to Hamas,” he said.
Within Israel, the backlash to international pressure is translating into bold political action. This week, the Israeli Knesset debated a non-binding resolution to formally assert sovereignty over the biblical heartlands of Judea and Samaria — commonly referred to in diplomatic terms as the West Bank.
Huckabee welcomed the move, saying Israel’s reaction to foreign pressure should be one of strength, not concession. “When you go out there and you start pushing Israel to surrender, their response is going to be… ‘We’ll just get stronger, tougher, and we’ll dig in.’”
Trump’s statements underscore a deep shift from the Obama-Biden-era diplomatic playbook, which consistently favored a two-state framework. Under Trump’s leadership, the U.S. has instead prioritized clear moral lines in the Middle East, opposing terrorist groups like Hamas while strengthening strategic ties with Israel and reshaping peace through the Abraham Accords.
Trump has repeatedly warned that legitimizing Hamas through statehood talks would not only betray the victims of terrorism but also send a dangerous message to bad actors worldwide: that violence earns rewards.
As global elites in Paris and Riyadh push to accelerate recognition of a Palestinian state — even as rockets continue to fall and Israeli hostages remain in captivity — Trump is drawing a red line.
“This is not about peace,” Trump said. “This is about power, and we’re not going to give that to terrorists.”
The post Trump Warns Against ‘Rewarding Hamas’ With Palestinian Statehood, Bluntly Rejects Two-State Solution appeared first on Real News Now.
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