Israel’s cabinet rejected on Wednesday a United Nations resolution promoting recognition of a Palestinian state.

“No reward will be given for the terrible massacre of Oct. 7, which 80% of the Palestinians, both in the West Bank and in Gaza, support,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the cabinet vote. “We will not allow them to establish a terrorist state from which they can attack us even more.”

“No one will prevent us, Israel, from exercising our basic right to defend ourselves—not the U.N. General Assembly and not any other entity. We will stand together with our heads held high to defend our country.”

Israel’s decision comes less than a week after the U.N. General Assembly voted 143-9 to grant the Palestinian Authority (PA) unprecedented rights for a non-member observer state. Under the terms of the resolution, the State of Palestine would be allowed to operate within the General Assembly’s plenum as if it were a member state, enjoying nearly all the rights and privileges associated with that status, with the notable exception of the right to vote, which would still require approval from the UN Security Council.

During his speech before the vote, Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan shredded a copy of the resolution, suggesting that the General Assembly was circumventing the institution’s founding principles by granting exceptional status to the PA. He argued that the UN was voting to advance the establishment of a “Palestinian terror state” led by “the Hitler of our times,” referring to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.