May 15, 2020 - Washington - Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) earlier this month called on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to preserve the viability of a two-state solution by not annexing lands in the West Bank.

            “I fear that any steps taken by Israel to unilaterally annex land in the West Bank will result in long-term costs to Israel’s national security and diplomatic relationships,” Feinstein wrote. “I urge you not to proceed with unilateral annexations, as such an effort to change the facts on the ground outside of a negotiation could ultimately make it impossible for Israel to secure a permanent and lasting peace agreement with the Palestinians.”

            Full text of the letter follows:

May 6, 2020

His Excellency Benjamin Netanyahu
Prime Minister of Israel

Dear Prime Minister Netanyahu,

            I write to congratulate you and Deputy Prime Minister Gantz on agreeing to form a unity government in order to effectively lead Israel amid numerous domestic and regional challenges. However, I also want to express my concern about the implications of Israel unilaterally annexing territory in the West Bank.

            As you know, the security of Israel and the U.S.-Israeli relationship are both deeply important and personal for me. America’s relationship with Israel is founded upon a shared set of democratic values, including the need for a negotiated two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. I strongly believe that such an agreement is the only path toward an enduring resolution of the conflict that satisfies both the Palestinians’ inherent right to self-determination and Israel’s future as a secure, Jewish, and democratic state. I am hopeful that the Palestinian Authority and your government will come to the negotiating table to reach an agreement so that our shared goal of two states, living side-by-side in peace and prosperity, can be realized.

            I fear that any steps taken by Israel to unilaterally annex land in the West Bank will result in long-term costs to Israel’s national security and diplomatic relationships. I urge you not to proceed with unilateral annexations, as such an effort to change the facts on the ground outside of a negotiation could ultimately make it impossible for Israel to secure a permanent and lasting peace agreement with the Palestinians.

            Please let me know if I can be helpful in any way, and I hope that we can meet again soon. I wish you all the best as you take on new and enduring challenges facing Israel, especially in the midst of this global pandemic.  

Sincerely,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

cc: Benjamin Gantz, Deputy Prime Minister of Israel
cc: Ron Dermer, Israeli Ambassador to the United States
Source: Senator Dianne Feinstein