2 state solution optional? Palestinians puzzled by US view
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - A Palestinian official says the goal of establishing a state of Palestine alongside Israel enjoys broad international support, expressing surprise at a Trump administration suggestion that a peace deal may not come in the form of a two-state solution.
Husam Zomlot, an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, says the "two-state solution is not something we just came up with."
Zomlot spoke ahead of a White House meeting on Wednesday between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
FILE - In this Sunday, Feb. 12, 2017 file photo, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. As Netanyahu visits the White House, the Trump administration has suggested that peace between the Israelis and Palestinians may not come in the form of a two-state solution - a position that could represent a dramatic shift from 20 years of U.S. policy. Speaking to reporters ahead of President Donald Trump's meeting Wednesday with Netanyahu, a senior White House official said Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, that Trump is eager to begin facilitating a peace deal between the two sides and hoping to bring them together soon. (Gali Tibbon, Pool via AP, File)
A White House official has said that it's up to Israelis and Palestinians to decide what peace will entail, and that peace, not a two-state solution, is the goal.
Zomlot says it's not clear if the comments signal a shift from long-standing U.S. policy of supporting a two-state deal.