Former Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said in a panel discussion under the auspices of the Shurat HaDin advocacy group that in his many conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu over the years, Netanyahu opposed the idea of annexation since he saw it as de facto recognition of a Palestinian state in the non-annexed areas. "Netanyahu supported annexation for the first time just before the last elections," Shapiro said. Shapiro strongly opposes Israel's unilateral application of sovereignty.