A former head of Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency, said on Tuesday that Britain's recent recognition of a Palestinian state could undercut Hamas and create diplomatic momentum to end the war in Gaza, calling the move a "nightmare" for the terrorists and a signal to regional spoilers, The Times reported.
Ami Ayalon, who led Shin Bet from 1995 to 2000, told The Times that recognition by Britain and other countries is not "a great gift to Hamas" but "a nightmare [for] Hamas. It is a collapse of their ideology. They will disappear as a major political player." He argued the step isolates both extremist Palestinian factions and Israel's messianic right, while opening space for negotiations to recover hostages and seek a two-state outcome.
The diplomatic shift comes as France and a growing number of U.N. member states prepare their own recognitions at the U.N. General Assembly, and as leaders across the region publicly reassert the value of a two-state framework.
Western moves toward recognition have drawn sharp rebukes from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has called such steps a reward for Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack.
Ayalon, 80, a decorated veteran who won Israel's Medal of Valour in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, said military action alone cannot secure a lasting peace. "We still do not understand that there is a limit to what can be achieved by the use of military power. And the military commanders understand that — they are saying it loud and clear to the Israeli people," he told The Times.
He urged leaders to couple military pressure with diplomatic engagement to create a "better political reality."
He also warned of the regional fallout from recent Israeli strikes beyond Gaza, saying, "They [the military echelon] took a decision without considering the regional ramifications it could have," and recalling past operations that produced diplomatic crises. "We paid a price. It was unthinkable to do it in a state … where we have friends."
The debate has reached the Oval Office.
President Donald Trump has publicly criticized unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood as potentially rewarding Hamas, underscoring the diplomatic tightrope Western capitals face as they balance pressure on Israel with support for a negotiated settlement.
Ayalon predicted Israelis could head to the polls in the months ahead, with the war, the fate of hostages, and the prospect of annexation shaping voters' choices. "We have to speak two languages," he said. "Yes, the military language, but also diplomacy is a necessary language in order to achieve victory. Victory is not to kill all your enemies. Victory means to create a better political reality."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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