Biden urges Netanyahu to work toward a Palestinian state

President Biden on Friday pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to agree to the creation of a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza is over, putting forward options that would limit Palestinian sovereignty to make the prospect more palatable to Israel to make.

Hoping to overcome Netanyahu's stubborn resistance, Mr. Biden raised the possibility of a disarmed Palestinian nation that would not threaten Israel's security. While there was no indication that Mr Netanyahu would soften his opposition, which is popular with his fragile right-wing political coalition, Mr Biden expressed optimism that they might yet find consensus.

“There are some types of two-state solutions,” the president told reporters at the White House hours after the call, the first in nearly a month amid tensions over the war. “There are a number of countries that are members of the UN and still do not have their own army. Number of states with restrictions.” He added, “And so I think there are ways this could work.”

Asked what Mr. Netanyahu was open to, Mr. Biden said: “I'll let you know.” But he rejected the idea that a so-called two-state solution is impossible while Mr Netanyahu is in power – “no, it is not” – and he rejected the idea of ​​putting conditions on US security aid to Israel if the Prime Minister continues to to postpone.

“I think we can get something done,” Biden said.

A day later, however, Mr Netanyahu appeared unswayed by Mr Biden's pitch. “I will not compromise on full Israeli security control of the entire area west of the Jordan – and that is incompatible with a Palestinian state,” he said in a post on social media.

The last time the two leaders were known to have spoken was on December 23, during a subsequent telephone conversation described as particularly tense.

The call on Friday came a day after Mr Netanyahu told reporters in Israel that he had done so rejected Mr. Biden's efforts to pressure him into a two-state solution. “The prime minister must be able to say no, even to our closest friends,” Netanyahu told reporters.

Mr. Biden has argued that establishing a Palestinian state that guarantees Israel's security is the only viable long-term solution to a conflict that has dragged on for decades, repeating a position that most American presidents and European leaders have held in recent history taken. In the meantime, Mr. Biden has suggested that a “revitalized” version of the Palestinian Authoritywhich partly rules the West Bank, could also take over Gaza once Hamas is removed from power there – another idea Mr Netanyahu has rejected because he sees the authority as corrupt and compromised by its support for terrorists.

“The president continues to believe in the promise and possibility of a two-state solution,” John F. Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, told reporters at the White House after the call, which he said lasted 30 to 40 minutes. . “He realizes this will take a lot of work. It will take a lot of leadership, especially in the region, on both sides of the issue. And the United States is determined to ultimately see that outcome.”

Mr. Kirby said the two leaders also discussed hostage situations held by Hamas, humanitarian aid to Gaza, the release of tax payments to the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank and the shift in Israel's military strategy toward more surgical operations. But Mr Kirby revealed no specific new agreements and confirmed that leaders remained at odds over the prospect of a Palestinian state.

Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu have known each other for decades, and the relationship between the left-wing president and the right-wing prime minister has long been complicated. Last year they argued over Netanyahu's attempt to take away some of the power of the Israeli judiciary, and Biden's push to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran.

After the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas, 1,200 people were killed in Israel, they put aside their differences embracing each other figuratively and literally. But as Israel's war against Hamas has devastated much of Gaza, reportedly killing more than 24,000 fighters and civilians, they have returned to conflict.

The long period between calls was itself an indication of friction. In the two and a half months between the Oct. 7 attack and their pre-Christmas conversation, Mr. Biden and Mr. Netanyahu spoke 14 times, or about once every five and a half days. This time it took 27 days to get back in touch.

But Mr Kirby tried to play down the disagreement, characterizing their clashes as honest disagreements between friends. “We won't agree on everything,” he said. 'We said that. Good friends and allies can have these kinds of frank, frank discussions, and so do we.”

He rejected the perception that Mr Biden was trying to force Mr Netanyahu to accept a Palestinian state. “This is not about trying to twist someone's arm or force a change in their thinking,” he said. “Prime Minister Netanyahu has made his concerns about this clear. President Biden has made it clear that he strongly believes that a two-state solution is still the right path. And we will continue to make that case.”

Mr. Kirby warned Mr. Netanyahu about his language, referring to the prime minister's statement that Israel must maintain security control over Gaza and the West Bank. Mr. Netanyahu referred in Hebrew to “the entire area west of the Jordan,” but some mistranslated it into English as 'from the river to the sea' words that have provoked criticism.

The latter phrase, often used by Palestinians and their supporters, is understood by many supporters of Israel as an anti-Semitic statement advocating the eradication of Israel, which lies between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, like the Palestinian territories. The House censured Rep. Rashida TlaibDemocrat of Michigan, in November for using that phrase.

Asked about Mr. Netanyahu's comment, Mr. Kirby said: “It's not a phrase we recommend using because of that context.”

Carol Sutherland contributed reporting.