US President Joe Biden said on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not oppose all two-state solutions, and hinted at the possibility of establishing a demilitarized Palestinian state: “There are a number of possible patterns, as some member states of the United Nations do not have armed forces.”
Biden added that establishing an independent Palestinian state is not impossible with Netanyahu in power, adding that they discussed the matter on Friday.
In response to a question about whether the two-state solution was “impossible” with Netanyahu in office, Biden said: “No, it is not.”
Earlier Friday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that Biden assured the Israeli Prime Minister of his “strong conviction in the possibility of implementing the two-state solution.”
He considered that “the long-term solution is to establish a free and independent Palestinian state,” explaining that Biden discussed this point with Netanyahu during their recent phone call.
During a press conference at the White House, Kirby expressed his hope that the United States would be able to work with the Israeli government and its counterparts in the region regarding the governance of Gaza, and explained that the talks Washington is holding with its partners in the region “include a discussion of the post-war phase.”
He added that Biden welcomed Israel’s decision to allow flour to be shipped directly to the Palestinian people, and that the two sides discussed Israel’s responsibility to limit the harm to civilians. Kirby considered that Washington’s approach to the conflict “is bearing fruit as Israel begins to move to less severe operations in Gaza.”
He stated that Washington still opposes a general ceasefire in Gaza, considering that such a step would benefit the Hamas movement.
Kirby added: “We support humanitarian truces, as I said, to try to get the hostages out and get more aid in, but we do not support a ceasefire at this time.”
The American official continued: “I think it is important to remember that a ceasefire was in effect on October 6,” indicating that “serious” talks were being held in order to reach a second agreement to release the hostages held in Gaza, and he said that Washington does not have much. Information about them and the conditions of their detention.
The spokesman announced that the US army carried out 3 successful self-defense strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, and added that these strikes were “a preventive measure against missile launchers that were preparing to launch attacks.”
He stressed that his country has “options to confront the Houthi attacks that we are exploring,” noting that the attacks in the Red Sea led to an increase in the number of ships changing their course to the Cape of Good Hope instead of the Suez Canal.
First call about a month ago
On Friday, US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call regarding Gaza, in their first conversation in nearly a month amid reports of tensions between the two leaders.
The White House said in a statement that Biden and Netanyahu “discussed the latest developments in Israel and Gaza,” adding that it would publish a briefing on the call soon.
On Thursday, Netanyahu rejected Biden’s repeated request for future coexistence between the State of Israel and a Palestinian state, saying: “Israel must have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River. This is a necessary condition, which contradicts the idea of (Palestinian) sovereignty,” and he explained that he expressed That’s straight to the Americans.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s position is not new, but his statement and the way it was formulated once again highlighted the differences between the United States and its ally.
When asked about Netanyahu’s comments, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby responded, saying, “Obviously we see things differently.”
On Wednesday, at the Davos Economic Forum, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken repeated his call to find “a path towards a Palestinian state,” considering that “without that, it will be impossible to obtain real security.”
During his tour in the Middle East last week, Blinken informed the Israeli authorities that Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, had expressed their “commitment” to help, especially in the reconstruction of Gaza, provided that Israel charts a concrete path towards establishing a Palestinian state.
Washington also urges Israel to help the Palestinian Authority instead of hindering it, an authority that cannot work effectively without this “support,” according to Blinken.
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2024-01-19 23:02:25
