UN chief repeats call for two-state solution, Netanyahu continues to refuse
United Nations chief executive Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Saturday reiterated his call for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. “The right of the Palestinian people to establish their own state must be recognized by all,” Guterres said at the Non-Aligned Movement summit in the Ugandan capital Kampala. “The denial of a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, and the denial of the Palestinian people’s right to statehood, are unacceptable.”
It is precisely this resistance to a two-state solution that is prolonging the conflict – a conflict that has now grown into a threat to peace and security around the world, according to Guterres. Because it creates a breeding ground for polarization and extremism globally. The UN Secretary General also renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
But Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to oppose the formation of a Palestinian state after the end of the war in Gaza. “I will not compromise on the fact that Israel must be able to exercise full control over the entire area west of the Jordan, and that goes against a Palestinian state,” he said again on Saturday. For Netanyahu, a solution is not possible without Israel’s military control of the entire West Bank.
The United States is Israel’s most important ally, but President Joe Biden is also pushing for a two-state solution. However, during a telephone conversation on Friday evening, Netanyahu made it clear to Biden that Israel “must be sure that Gaza no longer poses a threat” and that that demand is “contrary to the demand for Palestinian sovereignty.”
