Both Israel And Palestinians Should Recognize Each Other

In the view of Dylan Williams, Vice President of J Street, it is time for both Israel and Palestinians to recognize the other’s right to statehood. Writing in The Forward (Jan. 19, 2024) he notes that, “Netanyahu explicitly rejects a Palestinian state, yet continues to receive U.S. assistance. Expressly rejecting calls by the administration of President Joe Biden for a ‘day after’ approach that sets Palestinian statehood as a goal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said…that Israel ‘must have security control over the entire territory West of the Jordan River,’ boasting that he ‘blocked the (U.S.) attempt to dictate reality that would have harmed Israel’s security.’”

In Williams’ view, “These comments publicly slammed the door on American and international hopes of resurrecting diplomacy toward a two-state solution. They also reflect the policy Netanyahu has pursued for his entire career. Yet Netanyahu’s open denial of the Palestinian people’s right to a state and the ‘River to the sea’ language he echoed in making it, also highlights a glaring double standard…Palestinian government officials who engage broadly with the international community are practically, and in some cases legally, bound to recognize Israel’s right to exist—-and notably have done so since the signing of the Oslo Accords 30 years ago. It is long past time for Biden to condition assistance to Israel and insist that the recognition must go both ways.” *