From the Liveblog of
Friday, July 19, 2024
Two-state solution isn’t and cannot be dead, says Blinken
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken insists that the two-state solution isn’t dead and can’t be.
There are some fundamental realities that we can’t escape: Between Gaza and the West Bank, there are somewhere over 5 million Palestinians. There are about 7 million Israeli Jews. Neither is going anywhere… There has to be an accommodation that brings lasting peace and security to Israelis who so desperately want it and need it and fulfills the right self-determination of the Palestinians.”
He says the Palestinian state cannot threaten Israel, or be ruled by Hamas or a Hezbollah-like terror group.
Blinken asserts that the two strongest opponents of a two-state solution are Iran and Hamas, “so the strongest possible rebuke… would be the realization of two states.”
He says the US is working to advance Israel’s integration in the region, indicating this requires movement on the Palestinian issue.
