US President Joe Biden stated on Tuesday that the Israeli administration was opposed to a two-state solution with the Palestinians and urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “change” his government.
After weeks of firmly supporting Israel’s assault on Gaza in response to the October 7 Hamas strikes, Biden’s remarks to Democratic donors exposed a rare schism with Netanyahu.
“Bibi’s got a tough decision to make,” Biden said, referring to Netanyahu and his hardline right-wing government.
“This is the most conservative government in Israel’s history,” he said, adding that the Israeli government “doesn’t want a two-state solution.”
Biden went on to say that Israel was losing international support and that Netanyahu needed to “strengthen and change” the Israeli government in order to find a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem.
His remarks reflect a growing schism over what happens after the war, with US requests for Gaza to be handed over to a stronger Palestinian Authority being met with skepticism in Israel.
Netanyahu, after a conversation with Biden, stated that there was “disagreement” between the allies over “the day after Hamas.”
The Israeli leader stated that he hoped “we will reach agreement here,” but he vowed not to “repeat the mistake of Oslo,” referring to the 1993 peace accords signed in the United States.
Washington has also urged Israel to exercise greater caution in order to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza, claiming that far too many Palestinians have been murdered.
During a ceremony marking the Jewish holiday of Hannukah at the White House on Monday, Biden issued a similar warning about worldwide support.
“We have to be careful. They have to be careful. The whole world’s public opinion can shift overnight; we can’t let that happen,” he told guests.
