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WASHINGTON — President Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House Wednesday for a series of meetings intended to "show there is no daylight" between the two leaders on a range of issues.
And that includes the so-called "two-state solution" that has been a hallmark of U.S. policy in the Middle East — and a source of friction between the Netanyahu government and Trump's predecessor, President Barack Obama.
Trump professed to be agnostic on the policy. "So I'm looking at two-state or the one-state," Trump said. "I was thinking for a while that the two-state was looking like the easier of the two."
He concluded that the matter is up to Israel and Palestine to decide. "I'm happy with the one they like best," he said.
The one-state solution would include Israelis and Palestinians in a single, secular country with equal citizenship. The two-state solution calls for a negotiated settlement leading to a Palestinian nation alongside Israel, and it was the U.S. policy under both the Bush and Obama administrations.
But with Trump stepping back, Netanyahu reasserted his position that a two-state solution can only happen under two conditions: The new Palestinian state must recognize Israel's legitimacy, and Israel must maintain security control of the West Bank.
Trump and Netanyahu waver on support for two-state solution in Middle East
"First, the Palestinians must recognize the Jewish state. They have to stop calling for Israel’s destruction. They have to stop educating their people for Israel’s destruction.
Second, in any peace agreement, Israel must retain the overriding security control over the entire area west of the Jordan River. Because if we don't, we know what will happen -- because otherwise we’ll get another radical Islamic terrorist state in the Palestinian areas exploding the peace, exploding the Middle East.
Now, unfortunately, the Palestinians vehemently reject both prerequisites for peace. First, they continue to call for Israel’s destruction -- inside their schools, inside their mosques, inside the textbooks.
They even deny, Mr. President, our historical connection to our homeland. And I suppose you have to ask yourself: Why do - - why are Jews called Jews? Well, the Chinese are called Chinese because they come from China. The Japanese are called Japanese because they come from Japan. Well, Jews are called Jews because they come from Judea. This is our ancestral homeland. Jews are not foreign colonialists in Judea.
So, unfortunately, the Palestinians not only deny the past, they also poison the present. They name public squares in honor of mass murderers who murdered Israelis, and I have to say also murdered Americans. They fund -- they pay monthly salaries to the families of murderers, like the family of the terrorist who killed Taylor Force, a wonderful young American, a West Point graduate, who was stabbed to death while visiting Israel.
So this is the source of the conflict -- the persistent Palestinian refusal to recognize the Jewish state in any boundary; this persistent rejection. That's the reason we don't have peace. Now, that has to change. I want it to change. Not only have I not abandoned these two prerequisites of peace; they've become even more important because of the rising tide of fanaticism that has swept the Middle East and has also, unfortunately, infected Palestinian society."
- PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU
READ FULL TRANSCRIPT: Trump and Netanyahu's joint press conference
Speaking to White House reporters, Trump officials declined to specify the administration's objectives for direct talks beyond the broad goal of peace. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," the official said. "Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want or something else, if that's what the parties want, we're going to help them."
"We're not going to dictate what the terms of peace will be," the official added.
Trump officials: Two-state solution not the only path to peace
And that includes the so-called "two-state solution" that has been a hallmark of U.S. policy in the Middle East — and a source of friction between the Netanyahu government and Trump's predecessor, President Barack Obama.
Trump professed to be agnostic on the policy. "So I'm looking at two-state or the one-state," Trump said. "I was thinking for a while that the two-state was looking like the easier of the two."
He concluded that the matter is up to Israel and Palestine to decide. "I'm happy with the one they like best," he said.
The one-state solution would include Israelis and Palestinians in a single, secular country with equal citizenship. The two-state solution calls for a negotiated settlement leading to a Palestinian nation alongside Israel, and it was the U.S. policy under both the Bush and Obama administrations.
But with Trump stepping back, Netanyahu reasserted his position that a two-state solution can only happen under two conditions: The new Palestinian state must recognize Israel's legitimacy, and Israel must maintain security control of the West Bank.
Trump and Netanyahu waver on support for two-state solution in Middle East
"First, the Palestinians must recognize the Jewish state. They have to stop calling for Israel’s destruction. They have to stop educating their people for Israel’s destruction.
Second, in any peace agreement, Israel must retain the overriding security control over the entire area west of the Jordan River. Because if we don't, we know what will happen -- because otherwise we’ll get another radical Islamic terrorist state in the Palestinian areas exploding the peace, exploding the Middle East.
Now, unfortunately, the Palestinians vehemently reject both prerequisites for peace. First, they continue to call for Israel’s destruction -- inside their schools, inside their mosques, inside the textbooks.
They even deny, Mr. President, our historical connection to our homeland. And I suppose you have to ask yourself: Why do - - why are Jews called Jews? Well, the Chinese are called Chinese because they come from China. The Japanese are called Japanese because they come from Japan. Well, Jews are called Jews because they come from Judea. This is our ancestral homeland. Jews are not foreign colonialists in Judea.
So, unfortunately, the Palestinians not only deny the past, they also poison the present. They name public squares in honor of mass murderers who murdered Israelis, and I have to say also murdered Americans. They fund -- they pay monthly salaries to the families of murderers, like the family of the terrorist who killed Taylor Force, a wonderful young American, a West Point graduate, who was stabbed to death while visiting Israel.
So this is the source of the conflict -- the persistent Palestinian refusal to recognize the Jewish state in any boundary; this persistent rejection. That's the reason we don't have peace. Now, that has to change. I want it to change. Not only have I not abandoned these two prerequisites of peace; they've become even more important because of the rising tide of fanaticism that has swept the Middle East and has also, unfortunately, infected Palestinian society."
- PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU
READ FULL TRANSCRIPT: Trump and Netanyahu's joint press conference
Speaking to White House reporters, Trump officials declined to specify the administration's objectives for direct talks beyond the broad goal of peace. "A two-state solution that doesn't bring peace is not a goal that anybody wants to achieve," the official said. "Peace is the goal, whether it comes in the form of a two-state solution if that's what the parties want or something else, if that's what the parties want, we're going to help them."
"We're not going to dictate what the terms of peace will be," the official added.
Trump officials: Two-state solution not the only path to peace