Prime Minister Yair Lapid called for a two-state solution before the UN General Assembly. He’s taking a lot of criticism for that. Palestinian President Abbas welcomes the statement, but remains skeptical.
Yair Lapid speaks at the UN General Assembly on peace in the Middle East.
“Peace is not a compromise, it is the bravest decision we can make.” Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid spoke out in favor of establishing an independent Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday. A large majority of Israelis support the two-state solution, he said. “I’m one of them.”
An agreement with the Palestinians is the right thing for Israel’s security, for its economy and for the future of the children, he said his speech, in which he used the word “peace” conspicuously often. However, a future Palestinian state must not become a new base for terrorists and must not threaten Israel’s existence, said Lapid. That is the condition for an agreement.
Lapid also reached out to residents of the blocked Gaza Strip. If they laid down their arms, they could “build a common future in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.”
The fact that the left-liberal Prime Minister Lapid supports the two-state solution is nothing new. However, his speech has greater symbolism because he delivered it to the assembled world as Prime Minister of Israel.
Much criticism in Israel
Information about his speech had already leaked out in Israel on Wednesday – and both Lapid’s political opponents and right-wing partners in his coalition government were outraged by the performance even before he had said a word. The harsh criticism is part of the election campaign. On November 1, the Israelis will go to the polls for the fifth time in three years. Right-wing opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, the former long-serving prime minister, is aiming for a comeback.
Netanyahu criticized Lapid for reopening a Palestinian state after his government successfully ousted the two-state solution. Lapid’s speech shows weakness, a Palestinian state would threaten Israel, Netanyahu said.
Home Secretary Ayelet Shaked said the Prime Minister only speaks for himself. His support for the two-state solution is a meaningless campaign slogan. In fact, Lapid’s appearance is likely to have primarily attempted to mobilize his voter base on the left spectrum.
Lapid received encouragement from his own political camp. His supporters recalled that Benjamin Netanyahu had said down from the UN podium in 2015a two-state solution is needed.
There was also support from the USA. President Joe Biden promised on Wednesday before the General Assembly that he would work towards lasting peace negotiations in the Middle East. The US is committed to Israel’s security and a Palestinian state is essential to ensure that security.
Palestinian President Abbas remains skeptical
On Friday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas responded to Lapid and Biden’s statements. During his appearance at the UN General Assembly, he first said that the Palestinians were slowly losing hope for a just peace. Israel is destroying the two-state solution through its policies and settlement building. “Where can we build our state?” he asked. Israel would not leave any land for them.
Towards the end of the speech, in which he repeatedly drew attention to the suffering of the Palestinians, Abbas said he also wanted to acknowledge positive things: he was grateful that Biden and Lapid supported the two-state solution. However, the real test of the Israeli government’s credibility is to return to the negotiating table immediately. In addition, he could only talk about peace if Israel stopped building settlements in the meantime.
The mediation between Israelis and Palestinians has been stalled for a long time, and the peace talks sponsored by the United States collapsed in 2014. During the Six Day War in 1967, Israel conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem, among others. The Palestinians are demanding the territories for their own state, with East Jerusalem as the capital.