Democrats chide White House for refusing to back two-state solution
After US official says backing two-state outcome would be ‘biased,’ Reps. David Price and Gerry Connolly call administration’s stance ‘irresponsible and damaging’

WASHINGTON — Democratic lawmakers on Friday castigated the Trump administration for its ongoing refusal to back a two-state solution as part of its push to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying the stance was harming the prospect for peace.
“The Trump Administration must stop equivocating on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — a two-state solution is the only viable and just path to achieve peace and security for the Israeli and Palestinian people,” said two long-time Democrats in Congress Friday.
There comments come after a US official on Wednesday said that supporting such an outcome would render Washington biased.
“We are not going to state what the outcome has to be,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said during a press briefing. “It has to be workable to both sides. That’s the best view as to not really bias one side over the other, to make sure that they can work through it.”
That message jolted political Washington, as it’s been a linchpin of US foreign policy to support and, indeed, promote a two-state solution. The last three successive presidents all pushed hard for that end goal through comprehensive peace efforts.
In response, North Carolina Rep. David Price and Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly scolded the administration for breaking this precedent.
“This is irresponsible and damaging to the prospects for peace and American leadership in the region,” the two said in a statement. “Furthermore, it undermines and reverses decades of longstanding, bipartisan US foreign policy.”

Nauert’s comments came as Palestinians have increasingly complained over the White House’s refusal to endorse the two-state solution, which also marks a breaks with international consensus.
On Sunday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told a group of dovish Israeli lawmakers that he had met with Trump officials 20 times, but had no idea what their stance on issues was, describing the administration as “in chaos.”
Other officials have expressed dismay as well and accused the US of being biased toward Israel, even as a delegation led by Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner arrived in the region this week to try and find a way forward.
On Wednesday, Kushner, Special Envoy for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt, and Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategy Dina Powell arrived in Israel to meet separately with Netanyahu and Abbas.
The delegation arrived after several meetings with other leaders around the Middle East on the topic, including in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

The sentiment behind Nauert’s remarks further appeared to reflect recognition that Israel’s right-wing government doesn’t support the widely coveted two-state solution.
While most members of the current Israeli government are not on record supporting two states, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has at least rhetorically held that stance since 2009, although he has wavered on it in recent years.
Abbas supports a two-state outcome, which he articulated in remarks alongside President Trump during their last joint appearance in Bethlehem in May.

Trump, however, broke with his predecessors last February when Netanyahu visited Washington. Standing alongside the Israeli premier, Trump said, “I’m looking at two-state and one-state, and I like the one that both parties like.”
At the time, 191 members of Congress, Democrat and Republican alike, sent a letter to President Trump warning against the consequences of anything but two states.
“A one-state outcome risks destroying Israel’s Jewish and Democratic character, denies the Palestinians fulfillment of their legitimate aspirations, and would leave both Israelis and Palestinians embroiled in an endless and intractable conflict for generations to come,” the missive Said.
Price and Connolly organized the letter and were among its signatories.