For a era, the promotion of a “two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian battle has been a core pillar of U.S. coverage within the Center East.
However forward of a significant United Nations convention on the way to advance that resolution, some are asking if Washington is eyeing a change.
On June 10, 2025, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, acknowledged in an interview to Bloomberg that he opposes the institution of a Palestinian state presently, noting that “unless there are some significant things that happen that change the [Palestinian] culture, there is no room for it.” He added that these modifications “are not likely to occur in our lifetime.”
Requested if the institution of a Palestinian state remains to be the aim of U.S. coverage, Huckabee replied, “I don’t think so.” He went on to mull the carving out of land from a Muslim-majority nation for Palestinians, quite than a future homeland for them coming from the world presently managed by Israel and the Palestinian Authority within the West Financial institution.
The feedback by Huckabee, a Donald Trump political appointee and ardent pro-Israel Evangelical Christian, have been interpreted as a sign that the Trump administration is probably breaking away from long-standing U.S. coverage. Including credence to that view has been the administration’s antipathy towards the U.N. convention on the two-state resolution, attributable to convene in New York from June 17-20.
As a 25-year veteran of the Israeli Overseas Service who served within the embassy in Washington twice, I do know that such a flip in U.S. coverage is feasible. However it isn’t with out difficulties, because the Trump administration might want to current an alternate plan for resolving the battle.
President Trump has just lately proven he’s ready to interrupt with long-standing U.S insurance policies, as was the case in his choice to raise sanctions on Syria and meet with the nation’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa – to the good shock of many. However calling it quits on the two-state resolution is completely different – it might result in the additional destabilization of an already unstable area.
What’s the two-state resolution?
For the previous quarter-century, U.S. coverage – endorsed by Republican and Democratic administrations alike – has advocated for the decision of the Israeli-Palestinian battle via the development of a two-state resolution. In sensible phrases, this implies the institution of a Palestinian state encompassing the Palestinian individuals presently dwelling within the occupied West Financial institution and probably the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, alongside the state of Israel.
The concept that these two coexisting states might present a everlasting finish to the battle formally got here to prominence in June 2002 as a part of the Street Map to Peace for the Center East Battle introduced by U.S. President George W. Bush and adopted by the Worldwide Quartet on the Center East, comprising the U.S., Russia, European Union and the U.N.
U.S. President George W. Bush, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, left, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Aqaba, Jordan, in June 2003.
Hussein Malla/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama took energetic steps to advance the two-state resolution, together with direct involvement in negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians.
And in his first time period, Trump introduced his personal plan, which he referred to as the “Deal of the Century.” With the subheading “a realistic two-state solution,” it laid out a path to Palestinian statehood if the Palestinians’ political management met a set of benchmarks.
President Joe Biden constantly raised the two-state resolution as probably the most viable technique to resolve the battle – even after the Oct. 7, 2023, assaults by Hamas and the conflict subsequently launched by Israel in Gaza.
However for years, worldwide observers have nervous concerning the viability of the two-state resolution within the face of opposition from right-wing Israeli governments, continued Israeli settlement exercise within the West Financial institution, and weak and divided Palestinian management and polity. But the alternate options – together with continued Israeli occupation, a one-state resolution or a confederation with Jordan – are considered as much less viable choices.
Galvanizing assist behind statehood
For these causes, the two-state resolution stays probably the most acceptable components to a lot of the worldwide neighborhood.
Member states of the European Union, Arab nations, in addition to most nations in Asia, Latin America and Africa, have been advocating for many years for the implementation of the two-state resolution and have integrated it into their overseas insurance policies.
The upcoming U.N. convention in New York, to be chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, intends to underscore the significance of attending to a two-state final result.
Whereas there isn’t a actual expectation the convention will result in the institution of a Palestinian state anytime quickly, it goals to provoke worldwide assist for the idea of Palestinian statehood.
Huckabee’s feedback have been made within the context of the U.N. convention. And they’re of no actual shock: Huckabee’s private views on the topic are very well-known.
However the former Arkansas governor is now the USA’ consultant in Israel, and that offers his phrases weight.
Warning or discover of intent?
Whereas there was broad hypothesis that the feedback mirror a change in U.S. coverage, the Trump administration didn’t rush to endorse them – however nor did it distance itself from Huckabee’s phrases.
Because the conflict in Gaza continues, there’s a rising realization amongst main Republicans in addition to mainstream Democrats within the U.S. that discuss of advancing the two-state resolution is untimely if not unrealistic at current, particularly considering the strict opposition of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationalist-religious authorities.
However that doesn’t counsel the Trump administration has essentially steered away from this selection for the long run.
Somewhat, it may very well be that the U.S. administration has calculated that because it devotes efforts to ending the conflict in Gaza, at the very least briefly, and securing the discharge of the remaining Israeli hostages being held, discuss of a two-state resolution now could be counterproductive to its efforts.
And Huckabee’s feedback could also be aimed extra at these delegates shortly arriving in New York for the U.N. summit, serving as a warning quite than a discover of intent.
In a cable despatched from the State Division to U.S. embassies all over the world, American diplomats have been reportedly requested to discourage nations from taking part within the convention – not as a result of the U.S. is “disowning” the two-state resolution, however quite as a result of the administration believes the convention might undermine its present efforts.
The cable acknowledged that the U.S. opposes any steps that unilaterally acknowledge a Palestinian state, which it feels “adds significant legal and political obstacles to the eventual resolution of the conflict.”
The wording was not coincidental. U.S. coverage has been constant through the years in stating that any decision of the battle ought to be reached via negotiations between the primary events – the Israeli authorities and Palestinian representatives – which must chorus from taking any unilateral steps.
A person walks in entrance of an indication with portraits of U.S. President Donald Trump and Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee in central Jerusalem on Might 7, 2025.
Ahmad Gharabli/AFP by way of Getty Pictures
Getting forward of coverage
However all this, Huckabee’s feedback weren’t made in a vacuum.
Whereas the U.S. administration has not formally moved away from the two-state components, there’s a rising variety of conservatives in Congress, in addition to within the Washington think-tank neighborhood, that see a chance to deliver a change in U.S. coverage within the aftermath of the Oct. 7 assaults.
In his first time period, Trump was comparatively tepid in his method. To this point in his second time period, he has given little signal of the place he stands on the problem. Huckabee’s feedback, on this regard, might have been a delicate nudge – with the ambassador getting forward of the place he hopes coverage is heading.
