Atlanta, USA (CNN)– US State Department spokesman Matt Miller said on Wednesday that the United States continues to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state and “there has been no change in policy” by the administration of President Joe Biden regarding this goal.
Miller’s comments came in response to a report by Axios that spoke of a “shift.”
Miller added at a State Department press conference: “We have made clear publicly that we support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. That has been the policy of the United States for some time. It has been the policy of this administration. You have seen the secretary speak about that publicly.”
Miller noted that the United States seeks to develop an independent Palestinian state “with real security guarantees for Israel,” saying that the Biden administration believes that is the best way to ensure peace and security for Israel, the Palestinians, and the region as a whole.
Miller said the State Department was examining how to establish an independent Palestinian state, and was evaluating “any number of options” as part of its planning to determine which would be effective and work best.
Although he declined to provide details about the internal work, he said that the United States is evaluating a variety of options that it will discuss with partners in the Middle East and within the US government, “but there has been no change in policy.”
Axios reported – citing two American officials – on Wednesday that Blinken asked the State Department to review and evaluate options for American and international recognition of the “State of Palestine” after the end of the war in the Gaza Strip.
According to the Axios report, the two officials described this as a “shift” within the US administration, and considered it “a very sensitive thing,” both at the international and local levels.
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2024-02-01 13:11:20
