'2-state solution a defeat for Hamas, Palestinian state to come up from direct talks with Israel': US envoy Jack Lew

Jack Lew, the US Ambassador to Israel, has said that the realisation of the two-state solution will be a defeat for Hamas.

Lew, however, added that a Palestinian state under the framework of the two-state solution has to come out of direct talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians and the unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state is not the way forward.

Lew further said that Hamas only pretends to support a two-state solution at times and it actually believes in the destruction of Israel.

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Lew said, “I don’t think Hamas wants two states. The only time they indicate they want two states is when they’re trying to put a little bit of a patina of legitimacy around their real strategy, which is the elimination of the State of Israel.”

The two-state solution refers to a way to resolve the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a way that there is a Jewish State of Israel and an Arab State of Israel next to each-other in the region under conflict. It would include mutual recognition and an assurance of security.

A deal with Saudis will isolate Iran, says Lew

The trilateral deal that the Joe Biden administration of the United States is working on involving Israel and Saudi Arabia will isolate Iran in the region and bolster peace and security in the Middle East, said Lew.

As the US envoy to Israel, Lew took over just weeks after the October 7 attack of Hamas on Israel. He has been part of the negotiations for the trilateral US-Israel-Saudi deals, which will broadly include a US-Saudi defence pact, a pathway towards Palestinian statehood, and normalisation of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been keen to normalise ties with the Saudis for years, he and his governments have become quite vocal in their opposition to the creation of the Palestinian state. They have termed it as a reward of terrorism for Hamas.

In the interview with The Post, Lew said that the exact opposite was true. He said that a Palestinian state as part of a larger deal with the Saudis would put Iran in a regional alliance against Iran.

“I think it’s a defeat for Hamas to talk about a two-state solution, which is why I think even out of the pain of October 7, there is a way to have this conversation, but it takes leadership,” said Lew to the newspaper.

Lew further said that the deal “would be a strategic move that would be transformative in terms of isolating Iran, with its proxies on one side and Israel with the moderate Arab world and the Western world on the other side.” Referring to collective defence mounted against the Iranian attack on Israel iN April, he further said that there have been signs that such a grouping is possible.

In April, when Iran launched hundreds of missiles, rockets, and drones at Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France were joined by Saudi Arabia and Jordan in taking down these projectiles to help Israel foil the unprecedented barrage.

Lew said it was an example of how a regional alliance against Iran would also operate in the future.

‘Unilateral recognition of Palestine will not work’

Lew has said that the unilateral recognition of the Palestinian state will not work.

Lew said that while the United States is committed to Palestinian statehood, it has to be within the framework of the two-state solution and has to come out of direct talks with Israel.

“We have never advocated supporting the unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state. We made that clear in the UN,” said Lew to The Post, adding that the unilateral recognition would be “counterproductive” to a peace process.

Lew further said, “Actions by other countries to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state outside of the context of an agreement with Israel will not work, and the recent announcements of several countries do not help advance the process of a negotiated outcome…If you really wanted to defeat Hamas and if you really want to defeat Iran, normalization with Saudi Arabia is a way to accomplish both of those goals.”

Last month, Spain, Ireland, and Norway recognised Palestine. Of the 193 United Nations (UN) members, 145 recognise the State of Palestine.

Jack Lew on hostage negotiations & post-war Gaza

Lew said that the United States is applying “whatever leverage we have” to push Hamas into accepting the deal on the table.

Last week, US President Joe Biden announced a truce proposal endorsed by Israel that would end the war in the Gaza Strip in three phases. It will include the return of hostages, the end of the war, the return of displaced Palestinian to their homes, and the beginning of Gaza’s reconstruction.

“Whatever leverage we have, we have to make it work…There’s leverage being created by the United States and others putting pressure on Qatar and Egypt to put pressure on Hamas. There’s leverage being created by military operations. So it’s not a static point in time. We have to just keep pressing on every part of the system,” said Lew to The Post.

While Lew reiterated the American position that Hamas cannot be allowed to control Gaza anymore, he also said that Israel should also not control it. He added that Arab countries are only likely to fund Gaza’s reconstruction “if there is a credible plan for sustainable order in Gaza”. He further said that any future administration in Gaza will “need to involve Palestinians and cannot be Hamas”.