A senior American official told NBC News that the US administration is making internal political options regarding officially recognizing a Palestinian state after Israel’s war in Gaza.
The American network explained that this step could provide political, legal and symbolic authority to the Palestinians and increase international pressure on Israel to enter into meaningful talks for long-term peace.
She added that such recognition before any final comprehensive agreement between the two parties would represent a clear shift in Washington’s position, at a time when it is dealing with “a very sensitive issue at home and abroad.”
News of the internal deliberations was met with an expected reaction from some on the Israeli right and their supporters internationally, as the country is still reeling from the October 7 Hamas attack in which 1,200 people were killed and 240 others were kidnapped. But the White House plans, which Axios was the first to report, were also met with skepticism and outright anger from many Palestinians themselves.
Mustafa Barghouti, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council where he leads the Palestinian National Initiative Party, said: “We have been calling for recognition of a Palestinian state for a long time.”
He added in a phone interview with NBC News: “But the American announcement does not mean anything unless it is linked to three things,” and he talked about ending the Israeli occupation, removing its settlements in the occupied West Bank, and agreeing on what the borders of the Palestinian state will look like. .
He said that in fact, “the United States is doing everything to encourage Israel in its aggression.”
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2024-02-07 00:14:05
