CMEP Bulletin: Obama Tells Netanyahu, Two-States is the Only Way

During a March 19th interview with NBC, two days after Israeli elections, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “I don’t want a one-state solution. I want a sustainable, peaceful two-state solution.” This followed an interview Netanyahu gave during elections in which he told a Hebrew news website he would never establish a Palestinian State if re-elected.

In response to a question about Netanyahu’s conflicting statements, US President Barack Obama said, during a March 20th interview with Huffpost, “We take [Netanyahu] at his word when he said that [a Palestinian State] wouldn’t happen during his prime ministership, and so that’s why we’ve got to evaluate what other options are available.” The President added, “[The United States is] going to continue to insist that, from our point of view, the status quo is unsustainable. And that while taking into complete account Israel’s security, we can’t just in perpetuity maintain the status quo, expand settlements. That’s not a recipe for stability in the region.”

During a congratulatory call to Netanyahu on March 19th, Obama indicated that “The [United States] continue[s] to believe that a two-state solution is the only way for the long-term security of Israel, if it want to stay both a Jewish state and democratic.”

White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough says, “An occupation that has lasted for almost 50 years must end, and the Palestinian people must have the right to live in and govern themselves in their own sovereign state.” Join CMEP in calling for a framework and timeframe for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict!

Click here to read the full Churches for Middle East Peace Bulletin.