US says 'no way' to solve Israel's security challenges without Palestinian state

By Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US said Thursday there is "no way" to solve Israel's long- and short-term challenges without a Palestinian state.

"There is no way to solve their long-term challenges to provide lasting security and there is no way to solve the short-term challenges of rebuilding Gaza and establishing governance in Gaza and providing security for Gaza without the establishment of a Palestinian state," US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

His remarks came in response to a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments that said he has told the US that he opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state as part of any postwar scenario.

"This is clearly going to be a conversation," said Miller. "We've had direct conversations with him and now we're having a public conversation as well."

"There is a historic opportunity that Israel has to deal with challenges that it has faced since its founding, and we hope the country will take that opportunity," he said.

"Without a tangible path to the establishment of a Palestinian state -- there are no other partners in the region who are going to step forward and help with the reconstruction of Gaza," he added.

In response to a question about whether the US support for Israel is at risk, Miller said: "Our support for Israel remains ironclad. But that doesn't mean that there are no differences between our two countries, and that there will not be any differences between our two countries."