Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) announced on Friday that she had sent a letter to U.S. allies France, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, “urging them to reverse course at the United Nations General Assembly by rejecting unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.”
The letter, sent together with Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), stressed that the move “would empower Hamas, endanger Israel’s security and eliminate a path to a negotiated peace.”
Today I sent a letter with @SenRickScott to U.S. allies France, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia urging them to reverse course at the United Nations General Assembly by rejecting unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state, which would empower Hamas, endanger Israel’s… pic.twitter.com/T9UbmhazdN
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) September 19, 2025
Stefanik, expected to be the Republican nominee for governor of New York, said, “Unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state undermines the principles of direct negotiation and imperils Israel’s security. This absurd action would reward the behavior of Hamas terrorists and does nothing to secure the release of the 48 hostages still held by Hamas.”
The letter came days before the UNGA was due to convene in New York, with several Western nations expected to recognize Palestinian statehood.
Earlier this month, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told the BBC that the France- and Saudi-led drive to recognize “Palestine” has had “disastrous consequences.”
“I wish they would’ve thought about the implications,” Huckabee said, noting that the move violates the Oslo Accords signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization in the 1990s.
Huckabee hinted that Jerusalem was considering extending its sovereignty to “more parts of Judea and Samaria” in response.
“So, whatever the thought was, however noble it may have seemed, it has had disastrous consequences that have proven to do exactly the opposite of what many of the European countries thought would be a great idea,” he said.
