Biden (center) with Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (left) and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during a meeting at the White House (Reuters)

The Washington Post quoted American and Arab officials as saying that the administration of President Joe Biden and some of its partners in the Middle East are working on developing a comprehensive plan to establish lasting peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, but ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government renewed their rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state.

The newspaper said that the peace plan includes a timetable for establishing a Palestinian state that can be announced as soon as possible.

It quoted an American official who participated in the discussions as saying that the key to the Middle East peace plan is the “hostage deal,” referring to a possible prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and the Palestinian resistance.

The Washington Post also quoted the European Union's Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, Sven Koopmans, as saying that the Union is communicating with the various parties to develop a plan that actually focuses on reaching the end of the conflict.

Koopmans indicated that the plan aims to reach an independent and fully recognized Palestinian state, and a safe Israeli state fully integrated into the region.

Recently, there have been repeated American statements calling for the implementation of the so-called “two-state solution,” which would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, after the end of the war on Gaza, but this was met with rejection from the highest political levels in Tel Aviv.

European countries also announced that they are considering recognizing an independent Palestinian state in a proactive step that would pave the way for the implementation of the two-state solution.

Netanyahu (right) and Smotrich announced their opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a possible settlement after the war on Gaza (Reuters)

Israeli refusal

In what appeared to be a direct response to the Washington Post report, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that he would under no circumstances agree to a two-state solution.

Smotrich added that the Palestinian state poses an existential threat to the State of Israel, as was proven on October 7, in reference to Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

The Israeli Finance Minister continued that he will demand today, at the Political and Security Ministerial Council meeting, a clear and unambiguous decision stating that Israel opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying that he expects clear support from Prime Minister Netanyahu, members of the War Council, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, and all ministers.

For his part, Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir said that the world wants to give the Palestinians a state, and that this will not happen, as he put it.

The Times of Israel newspaper quoted Diaspora Minister Amichai Shikli as saying that Israel must resist the American plan and threaten to take unilateral steps, such as canceling the Oslo Accords.

In this context, Zeev Elkin, head of the State Camp bloc in the Knesset - led by Benny Gantz - said that the establishment of a Palestinian state would lead to the risk of repeating the events of last October 7 in all of Israel, as he put it.

Elkin considered that the establishment of a Palestinian state means that Hamas will win every election that will be held, saying that no one suggested to the United States the establishment of a state for Al-Qaeda after the events of September 11, he said.

In contrast to American statements about the necessity of implementing the two-state solution as soon as possible after the war on Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu repeatedly announced his rejection of the establishment of a Palestinian state, and said that Israel will not give up its full security control over the West Bank.

Source: Al Jazeera + Washington Post