JERUSALEM — Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the creation of a Palestinian state would endanger Israel's survival, pledging to oppose such efforts at the United Nations next week.

 

"We will also need to fight, both at the UN and in all other arenas, against the false propaganda directed at us and against calls for a Palestinian state, which would endanger our existence and serve as absurd reward for terrorism," Netanyahu told his cabinet.

 

"The international community will hear from us on this matter in the coming days."

 

Saudi Arabia and France will co-chair meetings from Monday on the two-state solution, which aims to see both sides existing alongside one another in peace.

 

This meeting is expected to see the formal recognition of a Palestinian state by several countries after the overwhelming adoption last week by the General Assembly of a text supporting a future Palestinian state, albeit without Hamas.

 

The French presidency said Friday that 10 countries would formally recognise Palestinian statehood at the meeting, Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Portugal, Malta, the UK and San Marino alongside France.