Obama's Chief of Staff: Israel Must End 50 Years of Occupation of the West Bank

Denis McDonough, Chief of Staff at the White House, on Monday, April 3, referred to recent comments by Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the non-establishment of a Palestinian state as long as he is in power, stating that "the occupation (of the West Bank) which has lasted nearly 50 years must come to an end." Israeli media outlets like Haaretz have interpreted the remarks of this Obama administration official as a sign that the "diplomatic crisis" between Washington and Tel Aviv is still ongoing. McDonough himself referenced the Israeli Prime Minister's statements about the non-establishment of a Palestinian state while he leads the government, saying, "We cannot pretend that these remarks were never made." He also warned the future Israeli government not to consider further annexation of parts of the West Bank, as such actions are "both wrong and illegal." The United Nations and the International Court of Justice have deemed the occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal since 1967 (nearly 50 years ago). The White House had previously emphasized that the best solution for the Palestinian-Israeli crisis is the establishment of an independent Palestinian state following the victory of the Likud party led by Netanyahu in the Israeli elections. The Israeli Prime Minister stated after the elections that his comments do not mean a retreat from his previous statements, asserting that "the conditions for this are still not ripe." McDonough, speaking among members of the "J Street" group, a pro-Israel lobby opposing Netanyahu's right-wing government, remarked that "after the elections, the Prime Minister (of Israel) said that he has not changed his position, but for many in Israel and the international community, these contradictory statements raise doubts about his commitment to the two-state solution (the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel)." His views on settlement expansion as a strategic goal to create division among Palestinians and his belief that the Middle East must be stabilized before the establishment of Palestine also raise doubts about his commitments. Previously, senior UN officials had also reacted to Netanyahu's remarks, including Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, who, on March 20, called Netanyahu to urge him to reaffirm Israel's commitment to the two-state solution, meaning the establishment of a Palestinian state.