United States President Joe Biden said this Friday that the creation of a Palestinian state is viable even with Benjamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister of Israel. Asked whether a so-called two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was impossible while Netanyahu was in office, Biden said: “No, it is not.”
According to the American, Netanyahu does not reject all two-state solutions and considers that there are several types of possible states, citing, for example, countries that are members of the United Nations and do not have Armed Forces. “There are all kinds of two-state solutions (…) So I think there are ways this could work,” he said.
Biden spoke by phone with Netanyahu this Friday, a day after Netanyahu expressed opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state as part of a possible post-conflict scenario in Gaza. Journalists asked Biden if he would be willing to limit US military aid to Israel because of Netanyahu's comments, but he responded that he believes the two can “reach an agreement.” The telephone conversation was the first between the two leaders in almost a month. The last call had taken place on December 23rd.
The White House said the call was not prompted by Netanyahu's comments about creating a Palestinian state, but made clear that Biden continues to believe two states are the only solution to the conflict. However, in addition to opposing the creation of a Palestinian state, Netanyahu refuses to allow the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), which governs parts of the West Bank, to regain control of the Gaza Strip when the Israeli offensive ends.
Both Biden and the European Union (EU) have repeatedly reiterated their support for a two-state solution since the start of the Gaza war and have also argued that the ANP, expelled from the enclave when Hamas forcibly took power in 2007, should take over. lane control when the conflict ends.
Netanyahu is “barricade” in achieving peace in Gaza, says Muslim mayor of London
The mayor of London, Labor Sadiq Khan, referred this Saturday to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the “barricade” that prevents peace from being reached in the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. During a conference in the British capital, the Muslim politician, who participated in a question and answer session, highlighted that “peace is possible”. “I think it's very important to recognize that when we look around the world, whether in South Africa, or in Sri Lanka, or next door in Ireland and Northern Ireland, it is possible to achieve peace,” Khan commented at the event organized by the so-called Fabian Society, a socialist-oriented group.
In his participation, Khan opined, among other issues, that “it is possible for people who for decades hated each other, killed each other, to live side by side”, although he added that in the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians “it will not be possible with the barricade that we have with Netanyahu.” “We should be concerned that the Israeli prime minister and members of his cabinet have moved away from a two-state solution,” added the London mayor. Khan also stated that he believes that “it is possible to proudly stand with Israel and condemn the actions of the Israeli Army in Gaza that lead to the deaths of thousands and thousands of civilians.”
Israel and Hamas have been at war since October 7, when an attack by the Islamic terrorist group killed 1,200 people and took more than 240 hostages. Subsequently, Israeli forces began a major offensive in Gaza that left almost 25,000 dead, while around 8,000 people are missing or dead under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Since the start of the invasion, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have discovered several civilian buildings used by Hamas as a cover for its terrorist activities, as well as an extensive network of tunnels.
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