Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) says that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “shut the door” on a two-state solution once the war between Israel and Hamas is over.
Van Hollen responded to comments Netanyahu made, saying he was “proud” to have blocked “the establishment of a Palestinian state,” citing Hamas’s attacks on Israel as an example of why it would not work. The Maryland Democrat said the comments were a “response” to President Joe Biden, who has called for a two-state solution after the war, while speaking on ABC News’s This Week on Sunday.
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“Well, this is a direct, you know, response to President Biden calling for a two-state solution. Ultimately it’s the only political settlement that’s viable, and here’s the thing about Prime Minister Netanyahu. He has continued to weaken the Palestinian Authority. This is the organization that recognized Israel’s right to exist decades and decades ago,” Van Hollen said. “Instead of trying to find peace or at least preventing the conditions on the ground from changing with additional settlements to allow a two-state solution, he has shut the door on that effort.”
Van Hollen also stated that Biden needs to push forward and find a partner for peace to establish a “political settlement” in Palestinian territories.
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“This is where it’s really important that President Biden assert leadership in this moment, in this very dark hour. If there’s going to be any light at the end of the tunnel, you’re going to have to have a political settlement,” he said.
“Not with Hamas; obviously, they’re not any partner for peace. We need to end the military threat from Hamas, but you need to have Palestinians who have long accepted Israel’s right to exist, to be able to govern and represent the people within the Palestinian area,” Van Hollen added.
