Netanyahu Informs US That He Opposes Postwar Palestinian State

Amichai Stein at Kann reporting on X that, "Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says he has informed the US that he opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of any postwar scenario."

• White House National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby, speaking aboard Air Force One, says in response: "Nothings changed about President Biden's desire that a two-state is in the best interests o... the region as a whole."
• Kirby: "We not gonna stop working towards that goal, this is not a new comment by [Netanyahu] we obviously see it differently... the President and his team will continue to work [towards a two-state solution]."
• Kirby: "There's gonna be a post-conflict Gaza. We've been exceedingly clear what we want that to look like. We want governance in Gaza that representative of the Palestinian people... and there's not a re-occupation of Gaza."
• Netanyahu's comments are likely to further inflame tensions in the region and could undermine US efforts to coopt support from Arab states. The comments are all likely to deepen fissures between the Biden and Netanyahu administrations.
• Axios reported on Jan 14: "Biden hasn't spoken to Netanyahu in the 20 days since a tense Dec. 23 call, which a frustrated Biden ended with the words: "This conversation is over.""