U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday in order to “reaffirm the unbreakable bond between our nations and Congress’s unwavering support for a safe and secure Israel.”
The California representative's call comes as Israel is trying to prevent personal tension between Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden over disagreements on several high-profile issues - including Israel-Palestinian relations and the Iranian threat.
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U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi speaks at her weekly news conference on Capitol Hill, Jan. 16, 2020
(Photo: Gettyimages)
According to Pelosi, she and Netanyahu discussed “COVID-19 response and our shared hope for regional peace, including a just, stable and enduring two-state solution.”
Netanyahu’s office has yet to comment on the conversation.
Pelosi's call came after the Palestinian Authority (PA) sent an official letter to the White House claiming that all factions, including the Islamist Hamas organization, were committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi on Monday that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was best for the future of Israel, the U.S. State Department said.
Blinken addressed the U.S. approach towards “a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future for Israelis, Palestinians, and the greater Middle East.”
Blinken "emphasized the Biden administration's belief that the two-state solution is the best way to ensure Israel's future as a Jewish and democratic state, living in peace alongside a viable and democratic Palestinian state," the State Department said.
Blinken has also promised that the Biden administration would work to eliminate what he called the Geneva forum's "disproportionate focus" on its ally Israel.