Since the George W. Bush administration, the United States has been committed to a two-state solution and opposed actions by either side that undermined its viability. That policy is grounded in our deep historical relationship with the state of Israel, our significant interests in regional peace and stability, and our belief in the principle of self-determination and the equal rights of Palestinians. The United States has consistently supported Israel as a democracy and a national home for the Jewish people while also acknowledging that, as President Biden has said, “the Palestinian people deserve a state of their own that’s independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous.” The Abraham Accords, a series of diplomatic agreements between Israel and several Arab nations beginning in 2020, established renewed diplomatic relations between the signatories, pointing toward potential broader regional normalization.
But the path toward peace – and the viability of a two-state solution – has been fragile, never more so than in the wake of Hamas’ horrific attack on October 7, 2023, and the resulting Israeli military operation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
In the wake of this crisis, there is an urgent need to prevent further regional escalation and to finally arrive at an irrevocable path to a two-state solution, with the full backing of the international community. The United States must ensure that its policies toward Israel and Palestine are rooted in our fundamental values. It must support Israel’s right to defend itself while also ensuring that U.S. assistance is used in accordance with international law, including international humanitarian law, as well as U.S. policies for conventional weapons transfers designed to minimize civilian harm. The swiftest path to achieve those goals is a negotiated ceasefire that results in an end to the fighting, the release of all hostages, and the exile or dissolution of Hamas’ military wing. Active U.S. diplomacy, led by President Biden, will be essential.
