White House signals major change in approach to Israel peace talks
As President Trump prepared for a visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, his administration is indicating it may try something other than the two-state solution to achieve peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, a senior White House official said.
“It’s not for us to impose that vision,” the official told reporters Tuesday night.
“A two-state solution that doesn’t bring peace is not our goal that anybody wants to achieve,” the administration official said.
“Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution, if that’s what the parties want or something else, if that’s what the parties want, we’re going to help them,” the official added.
The statements could signal a significant change in the bipartisan US foreign policy consensus – as presidents from both political parties have sought to implement a two-state solution to make peace in the Middle East.
“We’re not going to dictate what the terms of peace will be,” said the official, before adding, “President Trump has very much indicated that he wants to achieve peace.”
The two-state solution calls for “two states for two groups of people,” meaning an independent Palestinian state would exist with Israel.
The official’s comments come before Netanyahu visits the White House on Wednesday. It’s the first meeting between the American and Israeli leader since Trump was sworn into office last week.