Israel has categorically rejected the one-sided declaration of the recognition of a Palestinian state made by the United Kingdom and some other countries, warning that "this declaration does not promote peace, but on the contrary, further destabilizes the region and undermines the chances of achieving a peaceful solution in the future".

In a strongly worded statement, Israel said the move "not only rewards the biggest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust by a terror organization that is calling and acting for the annihilation of Israel, but also solidifies the support Hamas enjoys". Israel added, "It is destructive to separate statehood—one of the final status issues—from peace," and said, "This move goes against all logic of negotiation and reaching a compromise between two sides, and it will push the desired peace further away".

The statement also charged that "the Palestinian Authority did not meet any of its requirements and obligations; it did not stop neither the incitement, nor the pay-for-slay policy, nor did it take the required measures to combat terrorism—as demonstrated recently with the discovery of rockets and missiles near Ramallah last week". Israel said, "The Palestinian Authority is part of the problem and not part of the solution. This is also the reason why the United States imposed sanctions on the Palestinian Authority and prevented its senior officials from entering its territory."

Israel emphasized, "Israel will not accept any detached and imaginary text that attempts to force it to accept indefensible borders." The statement further argued, "Political gestures aimed at a domestic voting audience only harm the Middle East and are not helpful. Instead, if the countries that signed this declaration truly wish to stabilize the region, they should focus on pressuring Hamas to release the hostages and to disarm immediately."