US no longer backing two-state solution, ambassador hints

“No room for it,” US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee says of possible Palestinian state, suggesting that land could instead be provided by existing Arab nations.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

America’s top envoy to Israel cast doubt on US support for the two-state solution, and questioned the viability of Palestinian statehood.

Ambassador Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and long-time Evangelical Christian supporter of the Jewish state, told the US Bloomberg news agency in an interview published on Tuesday that there is “no room for” a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria.

“Unless there are some significant things that happen that change the culture, there’s no room for it,” Huckabee said, adding that he did not foresee the necessary changes happening “in our lifetime.”

Huckabee added that the US does not appear to support the establishment of a Palestinian state.

“I don’t think so,” Huckabee said in response to questions from Bloomberg.

The ambassador suggested that Palestinians might instead be given land in an existing Arab state, an alternative he proposed while running for the Republican nomination for president in 2008.

“What does that Palestinian state look like? Where is it? Where is it going to be? Does it have to be in Judea and Samaria? Does it need to be somewhere different? Does it need to be an opportunity for people to have a true place that is completely their own? Or is it in the existing areas that are under the dominion of the Palestinian Authority?”

“I don’t believe anybody can say ‘It is impossible, it will never happen.’ But if anyone is going to declare that this is the exact strip of geography that is going to be the future Palestinian state, that is where the complication comes from.”

When asked whether he believes Saudi Arabia or another existing Arab state should cede land for the Palestinians, Huckabee said that he believes “every option should be on the table.”

“Israel has a little strip of real estate. It is similar to the size of New Jersey. It is small. Muslim-controlled countries have 644 times as much land as Israel does.”

“Why should these people [Israel] give way when these people [Arab states] have a lot of room that they could say ‘We’ll carve out something’.”

Later on Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce fielded questions from reporters regarding Huckabee’s statement.

Bruce refused to comment on Huckabee’s interview, or whether the US is committed to the two-state solution.

“I’m not going to parse the ambassador’s remarks,” Bruce said. “The policy of the United States sits with President Trump.”