Friends,
As France and other Western governments push forward with plans to recognize a Palestinian state, we cannot stay silent. Such a move — under the current Palestinian Authority — would not bring peace or prosperity to the region. Instead, it would embolden terrorism and destabilize the very legal order the West claims to defend.
The Palestinian Authority’s “pay-for-slay” program is not a rumor — it is written into law. Over 40,000 imprisoned terrorists, released terrorists, and families of so-called “martyrs” receive generous monthly salaries. The latest round of payments was just made on September 3rd, and PA leaders have even pledged benefits to the perpetrators of October 7th. This is not governance; it is a system that glorifies and rewards murder.
Europe, which helped draft the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute, should recognize that such policies violate international law — from the Geneva Conventions to UNSCR 1373, which prohibits funding terrorist entities. To reward this behavior with statehood would shred the very rules-based order built after 1945.
The problem is not Palestinian statehood in principle. The problem is the nature of the leadership currently in power. Recognizing a state under today’s PA would not deliver peace — it would cement an architecture of violence, deepen cycles of radicalization, and give international legitimacy to leaders who incite terror.
And let’s be clear: this is not just an Israeli problem. What starts in Israel does not stay there. European cities have already suffered from terrorism inspired by the same ideology. To legitimize and empower its authors would be a historic mistake.
This does not mean abandoning Palestinians. On the contrary, it means taking their future seriously. Genuine peace requires sweeping reforms — in governance, education, and civil society — so that young Palestinians can pursue opportunity rather than martyrdom. Many Palestinians themselves reject the PA’s corrupt rule and remain disillusioned with Hamas.
The path forward must involve the Arab world and the international community pressing for real, lasting change — not a symbolic recognition that locks Palestinians into perpetual conflict. Only then can we offer them the hope of a state that promotes life rather than death.
Christians and Jews United for Israel will continue to stand for justice, truth, and the sanctity of life. We urge our friends and allies to amplify this message: recognizing a terror state is not peacemaking — it is surrender.