President Trump Not Committed to Israel-Palestine Two-State Solution, Plus Other Headlines

President Donald Trump on Wednesday ended a long-standing U.S. commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state, saying he had no preference for either a one-state or two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Trump’s comment came during a joint news conference at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Israel continues to annex Palestinian lands to construct Jewish-only settlements, leading many observers, including former Secretary of State John Kerry, to say a two-state solution may no longer be viable. But Trump’s remarks represented a break from 20 years of official U.S. support for a Palestinian state alongside Israel. In the West Bank, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat responded to President Trump’s comments.

In a statement, the group Jewish Voice for Peace said, "Today Trump and Netanyahu spoke of their 'shared values' of democracy and respect for human rights. These are alternative facts. Their 'shared values' are in reality a shared agenda of walls, militarism, xenophobia, racism, anti-Muslim bigotry, and borders closed to refugees."