Biden: “A two-state solution will be possible during Netanyahu’s term”
Netanyahu also said, “I don’t predict the outcome”… Serious and detailed call
Israeli cabinet begins discussions on tax revenue transfer to PA
As U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who are running parallel paths over the management of the post-war Gaza Strip, held a phone call for the first time in about a month, attention is being paid to whether there will be a change in the Israeli government’s stance on the ‘two-state solution’.
President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke over the phone for the first time in about a month on the 19th (local time).
The White House said that in the call, President Biden discussed rescuing hostages, expanding humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, and a vision for a two-state solution. It appears that he has no intention of giving up on the two-state solution and that he will continue to persuade Israel to accept it.
The Biden administration views a two-state solution through the establishment of a Palestinian state as the best solution to establish post-war peace in the Gaza Strip. On the other hand, Prime Minister Netanyahu is stubbornly refusing to give the Palestinian Authority (PA) the right to run the Gaza Strip.
At a press conference the previous day, Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly stated, “Israel must have security control over all territory west of the Jordan River in the near future, regardless of the agreement, and I have told this to the United States.”
In the early days of the war, the United States was a strong ally with Israel, holding summit talks almost every day, but frustration grew within the U.S. administration as Israel continued to reject the two-state solution.
In this situation, as the two leaders spoke again on the phone for the first time in about a month, it is expected that there will be a change in the Israeli government’s stance. In a meeting with reporters after the phone call that day, President Biden said, “No,” when asked if a two-state solution would be impossible during Prime Minister Netanyahu’s term.
When asked whether Prime Minister Netanyahu would reconsider the terms of support for Israel, considering his remarks regarding the two-state solution, he responded positively, saying, “I think we can work something out.”
He continued, “There are several types of two-state solutions. “There are many countries that are members of the United Nations but still do not have their own military,” he said. “There must be a way that could work.” Prime Minister Netanyahu also declined to say whether he was open to this idea.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is also said to have conveyed that he is not completely closed to the two-state solution. According to CNN, a source familiar with the call said that Prime Minister Netanyahu explained that his public remarks the previous day were not intended to predict the outcome in any way.
The sources said President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed the possible nature of a future Palestinian state that would ultimately need to be negotiated, and that the talks were serious and detailed.
Meanwhile, Israel’s war cabinet began discussing public tax revenue, which the PA had demanded as part of its ‘two-state solution’.
According to the Times of Israel, the Israeli cabinet discussed the previous day a plan to transfer tax revenue collected by Israel on behalf of the PA to the PA through Norway on the condition that it not be remitted to the Gaza Strip.
Although it was not put to a vote, it was reported that cabinet ministers generally agreed to this plan.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.