From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 15, 2024
After call with Biden, PM says Israel won’t be pressured into accepting Palestinian state
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
After speaking with US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu releases a statement in the middle of the night insisting that Israel will not be pressured into accepting a Palestinian state.
“My position can be summarized in the following two sentences,” says Netanyahu in a tweet, “Israel categorically rejects international
dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. Such an arrangement will be reached only through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions.”
In addition, says the prime minister, “Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such recognition in the wake of the October 7 massacre would give a huge reward to unprecedented terrorism and prevent any future peace settlement.”
