Netanyahu wants 'Israel' from river to sea, Gaza war to continue
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The Israeli Prime Minister publicly accused Washington of "endangering" the occupation entity by "coercing" it to open a path toward a "Palestinian State".
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu waits for the start of the war cabinet meeting, also attended by US President Joe Biden, in "Tel Aviv" on 18 October 2023. (AFP)
The open secret of growing tensions between Washington and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became more obvious on Thursday, when Netanyahu accused the United States of "coercing Israel" into steps that would "endanger" the occupation entity.
In a press conference, the Prime Minister told reporters that "Israel" must "take control" of all "land west of the River Jordan," which would hinder the "two-state solution" concept.
"This is a necessary condition, and it conflicts with the idea of (Palestinian) sovereignty. What to do? I tell this truth to our American friends, and I also stopped the attempt to impose a reality on us that would harm Israel's security," he said.
Read more: Netanyahu: There can be no Palestinian state
'Many more months'
US officials have been pressuring Netanyahu to move into the "low-intensity" stage of the war in order to "minimize civilian casualties" as global and public pressure grows on Washington for its support for the genocide.
Read more: Israeli media: More bombing will not restore deterrence
Responding to the requests, he said that the war on the Strip could take "many more months" and that "Israel" "will not settle for anything short of absolute victory," referring to previously declared objectives of "eliminating" the Palestinian Resistance and imposing a government without the participation of Resistance groups.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos that "Israel" would never have "genuine security" without moving toward the establishment of an "independent Palestinian State."
'Post-war Gaza'
Many US and Israeli top officials have increasingly sounded criticism of Netanyahu's war strategy.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned last month that the occupation entity was in danger of "a tactical victory with a strategic defeat" by killing civilians in Gaza, turning them more against "Israel".
Meanwhile, Netanyahu's local opposers are accusing the prime minister of leveraging the entity's state of war for personal political gains, which include dodging any talks to discuss "post-war plans."
Read more: US rushes post-war plans without Netanyahu, pushes for normalization
"I would just tell you, nothing’s changed about President Biden’s desire that a two-state solution is really in the best interest of not only the Israeli people, but, of course, the Palestinian people — in fact, the best interest of the region," Kirby said after Netanyahu’s TV appearance.
"We’re not going to stop working towards their goal, and this is not a new comment by the prime minister. We obviously see it differently," he added.
"Obviously, the focus right now is making sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Hamas and that humanitarian aid and assistance continue to get to the desperate people of Gaza. But there’s going to be a post-conflict Gaza. And we have been exceedingly clear about what we want to see that look like."
