Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state with certain conditions and guarantees.

Lapid, head of the centrist Yesh Atid party, made the remarks after Norway, Ireland, and Spain announced Wednesday that they would recognize Palestine as a state starting May 28, 2024.

However, Lapid blamed National Security Minister Ben-Gvir for preventing Netanyahu from adopting the measure, the local daily 'Yedioth Ahronoth' reported.

He criticized the extremist Ben-Gvir, who “did not allow” Netanyahu to announce his readiness to recognize Palestine as a state, and described the current situation as “the madness we are experiencing.”

"Netanyahu must declare that, under certain conditions and special guarantees, he is willing to accept a future Palestinian state that participates in the fight against terrorism," he said.

However, Lapid did not explain in detail in the press conference the conditions, guarantees, or cooperative nature of the proposed Palestinian state.

"This will not happen with this government. We need to replace Netanyahu's government and form an effective government," stressed Lapid.

Since 2022, Israel has been governed by a right-wing coalition led by Netanyahu, which strongly rejects the idea of creating a Palestinian state.

However, the announcement from the three European countries was in line with a statement by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell about Palestinian rights and ending the ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip.

The announcement by the three European countries comes as Israel continues its brutal attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Palestine has been recognized by eight European countries, namely Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Sweden, Greece, and Cyprus.