Is the “unwavering”
support
guaranteed by the United States to Israel after October 7 wavering?
For several weeks, the American discourse seems in any case to gradually change tone.
In addition to recurring criticism of the way the Jewish state is waging its war in Gaza, the Biden administration is increasingly openly discussing the need for a two-state solution.
This political outcome, to which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government are fiercely opposed, was publicly defended by Joe Biden himself this Thursday.
On the occasion of the annual National Prayer Breakfast event in Washington, the American president indicated that he was working
“day and night”
to
“free the hostages, alleviate the humanitarian crisis, and bring lasting peace with two States for two peoples
.
Until October 7 and the bloody attack by Hamas, the position of the United States was clear: categorical opposition to the recognition of Palestine as a state, both at the bilateral level and within the institutions of the 'UN.
Across the Atlantic, it was believed that the creation of a Palestinian state should only be achieved through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Also readIsrael-Hamas War: Europeans plead for the two-state solution
Change of doctrine or means of pressure?
As early as mid-November, Joe Biden had decided against this posture, by publishing an article in the
Washington Post
, in which he considered that
“a two-state solution (was) the only way to guarantee the long-term security of the peoples Israeli and Palestinian
.
And if
“today, this prospect has never seemed so distant”
, the current crisis
“makes it more imperative than ever”
, he added.
He then remained silent on the subject, leaving it to Secretary of State Antony Blinken to defend this position, during these numerous trips to the Middle East.
On January 10, the chief diplomat of the United States reiterated that his country supported
“tangible measures”
for the creation of a Palestinian state.
Are these statements a sign of a change in American doctrine or a way to put pressure on Israel?
On Wednesday January 31, CNN journalist Barak Ravid revealed in the media Axios that Antony Blinken had asked the State Department to develop proposals for possible American and international recognition of a Palestinian state after the war in Gaza.
Read alsoHamas-Israel conflict: Benjamin Netanyahu under pressure from the United States
According to two American officials cited by Axios, there would be three options: recognizing the State of Palestine bilaterally, not using the American veto to prevent the UN Security Council from admitting Palestine as a full member state of the UN, and encourage other countries to recognize Palestine.
According to the media, Antony Blinken also asked the State Department to study the possibility of a demilitarized Palestinian state, a solution regularly proposed by Benjamin Netanyahu in the early 2010s.
Guaranteeing Israel's security
These revelations have not gone unnoticed in Israel.
On X, a minister in the emergency government formed by Netanyahu after October 7 estimated that
“a Palestinian state would endanger the security and future of Israel”
.
“I am convinced that the United States, our greatest friend, will not allow such a dangerous step,”
he wrote.
The options outlined by Axios in no way represent a definitive U.S. position.
The media also indicates that Antony Blinken has not approved any of them.
He also ensures that these options are studied with a view to guaranteeing Israel's security.
Under the Obama administration, the State Department had already prepared a similar document.
But the different options had not been discussed within the administration.
On the other side of the Atlantic, the United Kingdom has also advanced its pawns in this direction, through its Foreign Minister, David Cameron.
During a reception for ambassadors from Arab countries on January 29, the former prime minister indicated that London was studying the recognition of a Palestinian state.
“Such a decision would contribute to the advent of a two-state solution
,” he justified.
This announcement was nevertheless quickly tempered by Downing Street, which assured that these remarks did not mark a turning point in the government's position.
The United Kingdom, like the United States, France, Germany and Italy in particular, have always refused to recognize a Palestinian state.