Mitchell Pushes Two-State Solution in Israel

The Obama administration’s envoy to the Middle East told the Israeli government today that Washington will “vigorously pursue” the creation of a Palestinian state, Reuters reports. George Mitchell stated America’s purpose as a means to organize statehood talks with Israel; PM Benjamin Netanyahu said it would first be necessary for Palestinians to recognize and accept that Israel is a Jewish state.

“Israel expects the Palestinians to first recognize Israel as a Jewish state before talking about two states for two peoples,” Netanyahu reportedly told Mitchell. Netanyahu’s right-wing government is expected to balk at the prospect of starting the peace process again—Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman recently called the 2007 Annapolis talks a “dead end.” (More Israel stories.)