Matthew Miller
Speaking on Thursday, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that without the creation of a Palestinian state, there is no way to address Israel’s short-term problems of rebuilding Gaza and its long-term security challenges in the region.
Miller, speaking at a news briefing, stated that Israel currently has an opportunity since countries in the neighborhood are willing to provide security assurances.
“But there is no way to solve their long-term challenges to provide lasting security and there is no way to solve the short-term challenges of rebuilding Gaza and establishing governance in Gaza and providing security for Gaza without the establishment of a Palestinian state”‘, Miller continued.
The remarks came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in a press conference that he had told Washington that he opposed any Palestinian statehood that did not guarantee Israeli security.
“I clarify that in any arrangement in the foreseeable future, with an accord or without an accord, Israel must have security control over the entire territory west of the Jordan River. That’s a necessary condition. It clashes with the principle of sovereignty but what can you do”, Netanyahu remarked in Tel Aviv.
He went on to say that the lack of Palestinian statehood did not prevent normalization agreements with Arab states from being signed a few years ago and that he still intended to add more countries to those accords.
Israel and its main ally, the United States, appear to be at odds now, with Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition government largely opposing the establishment of a Palestinian state, despite Washington’s insistence that the two-state solution is the only viable way to bring long-term peace to the region.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made his fourth trip to the Middle East since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, bringing Israel a rough agreement that its predominantly Muslim neighbors would help rehabilitate Gaza after the war and continue economic integration with Israel, but only if Israel committed to eventually allowing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Negotiations to establish a Palestinian state on land now held by Israel broke down about a decade ago.
The current round of violence in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict began on October 7, when Hamas fighters attacked southern Israel, murdering 1,200 people and capturing 240 prisoners. Israel claims that at than 130 people are still being held captive.
Israel responded to Hamas’ attack with a siege, bombardment, and ground invasion of Gaza, destroying the tiny coastal area and killing around 24,000 people, according to Gaza health officials.
“Despite the tensions, the United States’ commitment to a longtime friend Israel remains ironclad”, Miller noted.
“This is not a question of the United States pressuring them to do anything. This is about the United States laying out for them the opportunity that they have”, Miller added.
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