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White House Chief of Staff Says Netanyahu Declaration Could Not Be Ignored White House Chief of Staff Says Netanyahu Declaration Could Not Be Ignored
(about 2 hours later)
WASHINGTON — Denis McDonough, President Obama’s chief of staff, said that the pre-election declaration by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel that there would be no Palestinian state while he was in office raised questions about his commitment to a two-state solution that the White House could not ignore.WASHINGTON — Denis McDonough, President Obama’s chief of staff, said that the pre-election declaration by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel that there would be no Palestinian state while he was in office raised questions about his commitment to a two-state solution that the White House could not ignore.
“We cannot simply pretend that these comments were never made,” Mr. McDonough told about 3,000 people during a speech to the annual conference of J Street, a Democratic Party-aligned pro-Israel group.“We cannot simply pretend that these comments were never made,” Mr. McDonough told about 3,000 people during a speech to the annual conference of J Street, a Democratic Party-aligned pro-Israel group.
Calling Mr. Netanyahu’s rhetoric “very troubling,” Mr. McDonough was reiterating a message the White House has hit upon repeatedly in the days since Mr. Netanyahu’s victory last week in Israel’s election, exposing an increasingly bitter break between Mr. Obama and the prime minister.Calling Mr. Netanyahu’s rhetoric “very troubling,” Mr. McDonough was reiterating a message the White House has hit upon repeatedly in the days since Mr. Netanyahu’s victory last week in Israel’s election, exposing an increasingly bitter break between Mr. Obama and the prime minister.
The rift is “not a matter of personal pique,” Mr. McDonough said, but a fundamental difference on policy. He said the United States “will never stop” working for a two-state solution.The rift is “not a matter of personal pique,” Mr. McDonough said, but a fundamental difference on policy. He said the United States “will never stop” working for a two-state solution.
But in a 35-minute speech, Mr. McDonough did not hint at any new action the United States would take as a result of Mr. Netanyahu’s comments, including whether it would back a United Nations Security Council resolution pressing a two-state solution based on Israel’s 1967 borders and mutually agreed exchanges of territory. He did, however, say such a solution should be part of any peace agreement, under which, Mr. McDonough said, “an occupation that has lasted more than 50 years must end.” But in a 35-minute speech, Mr. McDonough did not hint at any new action the United States would take as a result of Mr. Netanyahu’s comments, including whether it would back a United Nations Security Council resolution pressing a two-state solution based on Israel’s 1967 borders and mutually agreed exchanges of territory. He did, however, say such a solution should be part of any peace agreement, under which, Mr. McDonough said, “an occupation that has lasted almost 50 years must end.”
The two-state solution “remains our goal today, because it is the only way to secure Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state,” Mr. McDonough said. “We will look to the next Israeli government to match words with action.”The two-state solution “remains our goal today, because it is the only way to secure Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state,” Mr. McDonough said. “We will look to the next Israeli government to match words with action.”