Dubai: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday against abandoning the idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying there was “no alternative”.
The warning came after the US administration suggested that peace between the Israelis and Palestinians may not come in the form of a two-state solution - a position that could represent a dramatic shift from 20 years of US policy.
“There is no alternative solution for the situation between the Palestinians and Israelis, other than the solution of establishing two states and we should do all that can be done to maintain this,” Guterres said in Cairo.
Speaking to reporters ahead of US President Donald Trump’s meeting Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a senior White House official said Tuesday that it will be up to the Israelis and Palestinians to determine what peace will entail - and that peace, not a two-state solution, is the goal.
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met secretly with the CIA chief in the West Bank, Palestinian officials said Wednesday. Mike Pompeo and Abbas held talks Tuesday in Ramallah, the first high-level contacts between the Palestinian leader and administration officials.
One of the Palestinian officials said Abbas briefed Pompeo on Palestinian positions ahead of the talks between Trump and Netanyahu.
Palestinian officials warned that the only other acceptable, but unlikely option would be a single state for Israelis and Palestinians, an idea opposed by a majority of Israelis and Palestinians.
“We believe undermining the two-state solution is not a joke, it is a disaster and tragedy for Palestinians and the Israelis and the whole region,” said Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator.
US State Department officials expressed surprise at the White House official’s comments and said Tuesday they were not aware of any policy shift on the desirability of a two-state solution. Three officials said the department was seeking clarification from the White House comments, which came as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was having dinner with Netanyahu.
- with inputs from agencies
