US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Source: Getty Images
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to compromise with the US on a potential two-state solution for post-war Gaza despite US President Joe Biden affirming that the two sides had agreed after speaking by phone for the first time since then. a month, according to a post by Mr. Netanyahu on social network X (formerly Twitter) on January 20.
“I will not compromise on Israel’s complete security control over the entire western Jordan region – and this is contrary to a Palestinian state,” Netanyahu wrote on the forum, repeating his usual position. given his statement on the subject.
US President Biden announced after speaking with his Israeli counterpart on January 19 that a two-state solution is not impossible under the current government of West Jerusalem, and emphasized that there are many types of solutions might fit the bill.
However, Netanyahu has repeatedly argued strongly against any form of independent Palestinian government and insisted earlier this week that he has worked for “30 years” to prevent the development of a state. Palestine.
“In the future, the state of Israel must control the entire area from the river to the sea. This is what happens when you have sovereignty,” Prime Minister Netanyah told reporters in a televised press conference, mentioning to the Jordan River and the Red Sea – boundaries that many Palestinians consider the borders of their legitimate state.
Prime Minister Netanyahu even appeared to disagree with Israel’s allies in Washington, noting that he had “spoken this truth to our friends, the Americans”, preventing what he described as “the attempt to impose a reality on us that would endanger us”.
Mr. Netanyahu emphasized: “A prime minister in Israel must be able to say no, even to the closest friends.”
The United States continues to defend Israel against growing accusations from the international community that West Jerusalem is committing war crimes in Gaza, where the Israel Defense Forces have killed more than 25,000 Palestinians since October 7, the majority of them are women and children.
However, some senior US officials have been more vocal about their desire for a two-state solution even in the face of Israeli opposition.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized on January 17 that some form of Palestinian self-governance is necessary for Israel to “have real security”. Earlier this month, he announced that Arab leaders wanted to help rebuild Gaza “through a regional approach that includes a path to a Palestinian state.”
The US has called on the Palestinian Authority, which administers the occupied West Bank, to take control of Gaza after Hamas is defeated, although Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to continue the war he declared after the invasion. Hamas’ October 7 strategy will last until 2025.