Netanyahu rejected calls to work on statehood for the Palestinians
What Can We Do if We Do not Want to Establish a Palestinian State? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Cold War Rejoinds Israel
The prime minister of Israel appeared to rule out the idea of a postwar peace process that could lead to the creation of a Palestinian state despite a call from the US to begin work toward that goal.
He said security control over the entire region west of the Jordan River would be in opposition to the idea of sovereignty. What can we do?
The Biden administration and the Israeli government disagree on how to govern Gaza after fighting ends. Israeli officials were urged by President Biden and his top diplomat to begin planning for the establishment of a Palestinian state. The Palestinian Authority should be the interim step towards that goal since it is based in the West Bank.
The White House was displeased with Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to scale back Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip or take steps toward establishing a Palestinian state after the war.
He told the American friends about the truth, and put the brakes on the attempt to force them into a reality that would endanger Israel.
The Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, said on Thursday that most Israelis were more concerned at the moment about security than a peace plan that included a two-state solution.
Israel’s Heartland in the War on the Red Sea: The Children of a Red-Sea Host in Tel Aviv
The Israeli military fired an air defense system at a suspicious object over the Red Sea on Thursday, triggering air raid sirens throughout the city of Eilat. The drones and missiles launched by the Democratic Republic of the Yemen fell short when they were shot down.
The war has rippled across the Middle East, with Iranian-backed groups attacking U.S. and Israeli targets. The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon could lead to an all-out war, while the rebels in Yemen have not stopped targeting international shipping.
On Thursday, the Israeli army said it had destroyed “the heart” of Hamas’ weapons manufacturing industry near a major north-south road in central Gaza. It said the complex included weapons factories and an extensive tunnel network used to ship arms throughout Gaza.
Israel blames the high civilian death toll on Hamas because it fights in dense residential areas. Israel says it has killed over 9000 people in Gaza since the beginning of the offensive, and that its own soldiers have been killed as well.
More than a hundred thousand Palestinians have packed into southern Gaza and the UN shelters are filled with homeless people.
Hamas launched rockets into Israel even in the most devastated areas. While Israel and the United States ruled out releasing any more hostages until a permanent cease-fire was declared, it says it will not do so until there is one.
Qatar confirmed late Wednesday that the medicine had entered Gaza, but it was not yet clear if it had been distributed to the hostages, who are being held in secret locations, including underground bunkers.
The warring sides reached a deal for the first time since November. Huge shipments of medicine, food, and aid for Palestinian civilians are included in the deal.
Before Oct. 7, Israeli society was bitterly divided over Netanyahu’s plan for a judicial overhaul. Since the attack, the country has rallied behind the war. But divisions have once again begun to surface over Netanyahu’s handling of the war.
In Tel Aviv, many people gathered in solidarity with the family of Kfir Bibas, the youngest Israeli hostage, who turned 1 years old. The red-haired infant and his 4-year-old brother Ariel were taken hostage along with their mother, Shiri, and their father, Yarden. All four remain in captivity.
Source: Netanyahu says he told U.S. that he opposes Palestinian state in any postwar scenario
Two-State Solution to the Israeli War on Gaza: Israel’s Standstill and Prospects for the Next-Generation World Economic Forum
The White House denounced the comments immediately. Kirby said that President Joe Biden would not stop working for a two-state solution.
Netanyahu has been against a two-state solution for years and leads a far-right government. He said a Palestinian state would become a launching pad for attacks on Israel.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said the kingdom was ready to establish full relations with Israel as part of a larger political agreement. “But that can only happen through peace for the Palestinians, through a Palestinian state,” he said.
The two-state solution is the best way to protect Israel and unify Arab countries, said Antony before the World Economic Forum.
The cost of the war has resulted in increased calls from the international community to stop the offensive. The United States, which initially supported the war, has now urged Netanyahu to spell out his vision for postwar Gaza.
He rejected claims by a growing chorus of Israeli critics that those goals are not achievable, vowing to press ahead for many months. “We will not settle for anything short of an absolute victory,” Netanyahu said.
The back and forth reflected the large rift between the two allies on Israel’s war and its future plans for the territory.
