PA, Israeli Left Slam American Reluctance to Impose Two-State Solution

Hours before Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was set to meet President Donald Trump, Palestinian Authority officials and Israeli leftists slammed reports that the Trump administration did not plan to push Israel to agree to establishment of a Palestinian state. Speaking on Army Radio Wednesday, Kadura Fares, a senior member of the Fatah terror group, said that it would be a “historic mistake” to step back from the two-state solution.

“It would be a huge step backwards, instead of forwards, where we should be going,” Fares said. “Ignoring this is not a solution but a terrible fantasy. The United States may be a great power, but the date of the region will not be directed by officials from elsewhere.”

Earlier, reports in the Israeli media quoted a “high ranking White House source” as saying that President Trump’s administration does not plan to push Israel on establishing a Palestinian state. President Trump is very interested in getting Israel and the Palestinians to negotiate, and would like to solve the conflict if possible, but “it depends on what the parties want, whether that comes in the form of two states for two people, or in some other manner.” A two-state solution “that does not bring peace is not a goal anyone would want to achieve,” the source said. “We are not going to dictate the terms of an agreement to either side.”

Hanan Ashrawi, a top member of the PLO’s action committee and long-time terrorist, said that the American stance was “illogical. Obviously the U.S. is just trying to satisfy the demands of the rightwing coalition of Binyamin Netanyahu.”

Meretz chairperson MK Zehava Gal-on also slammed the comments. “It doesn’t matter what Trump says. Any solution other than the two state solution means an apartheid state. There is no other solution that will ensure that Israel remains a Jewish and democratic state and an end of the occupation. 60 percent of Israelis support the two state solution. Netanyahu is not among them because he is busy satisfying his apartheid coalition, all in the interests of enabling him to remain in power when he is indicted.”

Also demanding that Israel move forward with concessions to the Palestinians regardless of the American position was MK Yoel Chasson (Zionist Camp). Chasson said that “even if the United States doesn’t plan to demand two states for two peoples, it is in the interests of Israel to do this. Netanyahu as Prime Minister must understand that this is the only solution to prevent the establishment of a bi-national state.”