US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has announced that Washington is no longer pursuing the goal of establishing an independent Palestinian state.
Huckabee, who was hand-picked by Trump, stated that a Palestinian entity should be built on the land of Muslim countries, rather than Israeli territory.
“Muslim countries have 644 times the amount of land controlled by Israel. So maybe, if there is such a desire for a Palestinian state, there would be someone who would say, we’d like to host it,” Huckabee told BBC.
The Trump administration has been timid in its emphasis on a two-state solution and ceasefire relative to Israel’s war on Gaza. Last week, the United Nations Security Council resolution for an immediate ceasefire was vetoed by the US.
Another similar resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire is expected to be presented this week. However, the US rejection of Palestinian statehood has raised questions over whether the resolution will be passed, and whether a two-state solution can now be achieved.
A scholar from Georgetown University’s Centre for Contemporary Arab Studies, Khaled Elgindy, who was also a former adviser to Palestinian negotiators, commented, “This is not at all surprising given that we’ve seen in the last four-plus months, including the administration’s open support for expelling the population of Gaza, the legitimization of Israeli settlement and annexation policies.”
Hours after Huckabee made the statement, the US imposed sanctions on Addameer, a Palestinian human rights organisation, alongside other charity groups that claim support for Palestine.
With the Trump administration’s stance on Palestinian statehood clear, international concerns over the possibility of a two-state solution heighten.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, a long-time ally of President Trump, has repeatedly stated that the war on Gaza will not stop until Hamas is considered defeated.
