RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian prime minister said in an interview Thursday that the Biden administration must now “walk the walk” and take specific steps toward what has been an elusive two-state solution, including by applying pressure on Israel.
Mohammed Shtayyeh spoke to The Associated Press as U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met in Tel Aviv with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to discuss the course of the Israel-Hamas war, now in its third month. Gallant said Israel’s aim of destroying Hamas will take several more months.
The United States has shielded Israel against growing international calls for an immediate cease-fire, but is publicly disagreeing with its close ally on a post-war scenario.
Washington eventually wants to see the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza under a unified Palestinian leadership, as a precursor to Palestinian statehood. Israel’s right-ing government opposes Palestinian statehood and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects any role in Gaza for the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority, a West Bank-based autonomy government.
Shtayyeh said Thursday that it’s time for the United States to deal more firmly with Israel.
“Now that the United States has talked the talk, we want Washington to walk the walk, meaning that we need specific measures to implement the two-state solution, not only believe in the two-state solution,” he said in an interview.
He said it’s time for the Biden administration to shift its policy from “carrots to Israel to non-carrots.”
Sullivan is to meet Friday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.
