Warren, Schatz Urge Biden Administration to Pressure Netanyahu on Two-State Solution Comments

Letter

Dear Secretary Blinken:
We write to express our concern regarding the current status and viability of the two-state
solution with regard to the current actions, statements, and policies of the Israeli government led
by Prime Minister Netanyahu.
For decades U.S. policy has been clear: the only path for sustainable peace and solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a two-state solution. Hamas’s horrific terrorist attack on October 7,
which killed over 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and involved taking approximately 240
people hostage, has only increased the urgency for the United States to put all parties on a path
to peace. Only through a viable two-state peace process can we ensure that the legitimate
aspirations of the Palestinian people for their own state are met, along with the necessary
requirements for a secure, democratic, and Jewish state of Israel. It is critical that both Israelis
and Palestinians have leaders who are actively working to build a viable path to a two-state
solution.
We appreciate that this administration has consistently and repeatedly made clear that “genuine
security” for Israel is possible only with a “pathway to a Palestinian state.” We also agree with
President Biden that “there’s no going back to the status quo.” But we have serious concerns
that the Netanyahu government’s public and repeated rejection of a two-state solution
fundamentally threatens regional security and undermines any path to a durable peace. For decades, numerous Israeli governments guarded and upheld the promise of a two-state solution
as the foundation for a lasting peace in the region. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s explicit departure
from that position, both in his statements and in government policies aimed at undermining this
internationally agreed upon pathway, is dangerous to both U.S. and Israeli national security.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has never championed a two-state solution.
But in recent days his public comments have repeatedly and directly contradicted U.S. policy goals.The Prime Minister recently said that he will “not compromise on full Israeli security control of the entire area west of Jordan River,” which he claims “is irreconcilable with a Palestinian
state.” He has backed his comments up with action: the Netanyahu government has put pressure
on Egypt and other countries in the region to accept Gazan war refugees and floated suggestions
of “voluntary emigration” after the war, raising concerns that this government is working
toward the “permanent expulsion” of Palestinians from their homes.Even before October 7, the
Prime Minister agreed to freeze new settlements in the West Bank, only to expand them
anyway and make a path toward a coherent Palestinian state even more challenging.

We are also concerned about the ongoing risk to Israeli hostages as a result of offensive
operations in Gaza. The safe return of the remaining hostages must continue to be a paramount
priority. The continued captivity of these hostages and the suffering of their families is the
responsibility of the terrorist organization that seized them. Israel has a legitimate right to self defense. While Israel seeks to bring justice to its people, we are concerned by the actions of the
Netanyahu government that have unnecessarily prolonged and expanded suffering in both Israel
and Gaza.

The current military strategy of the Netanyahu government has exacerbated the humanitarian
catastrophe in Gaza, taking more than 25,000 Palestinian lives, increasing regional instability,
jeopardizing U.S. troops in the region, and failing to achieve the release of the remaining
hostages. These decisions by the Netanyahu government have even raised alarm with a member
of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s own War Cabinet, who has expressed deep concern about the
government’s failure to bring home the over 100 Israeli hostages who remain in Gaza. These
miscalculations by the Netanyahu government are extremely harmful to a viable two-state
solution needed for a lasting peace that Israelis and Palestinians deserve.

We also recognize that the future success of a two-state solution is inextricably linked to a viable
and effective leader for a Palestinian government. For years the Palestinian Authority (PA) has
been riddled with mismanagement, corruption, and nepotism. The PA’s popularity has plunged
among Palestinians in the West Bank, deeply undercutting their confidence in the viability of
any two-state solution. The United States and the international community must redouble their
commitment to supporting a governance structure that prioritizes the welfare and needs of its
people. The current PA has fallen deeply short of these commitments and has also hindered the
viability of a two-state solution in the process.
The Palestinians need an effective leader for the future reconstruction and governance of Gaza.
We must make every urgent effort to ensure that the leaders of the Palestinian people have the
capacity, capabilities, and institutional strength to deliver effective governance. This governance
must be conducted in a way that not only represents the interests and needs of the Palestinian
people, but also ensures the security of both Israel and the Palestinian people. The United States
should help foster an environment that supports Palestinian leaders who are committed to the
cause of a two-state solution.
In light of these issues concerning the two-state solution with the current Israeli government and
future representation of the Palestinian people, we seek more clarification on the administration’s
positions on the following questions:

1. Does the administration believe that the Prime Minister’s current military strategy and his
stated views on the post-war status of the Palestinian people advance the objectives of
returning Israeli hostages and creating a viable path to a two-state solution?

2. What actions will the President take to ensure that the current Israeli government alters
course and takes meaningful steps to create the conditions for a viable two-state
solutions?

3. What actions will the President take to advance an independent, self-governed Palestinian
state, as well as encourage meaningful steps to alter course and create the conditions for a
viable two-state solution?

We request a meeting to discuss these concerns and to learn more about the administration’s
diplomatic strategy to advance a two-state solution, as well as a written response by February 13.

Sincerely,

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