U.S. State Department Refuses to Clarify as U.S. Ambassador Questions Palestinian State
(MENAFN) The US State Department declined to address remarks made by US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who stated that the US is no longer aiming for an independent Palestinian state.
"I'm not going to characterize the ambassador's remarks. I'm not going to explain them or really comment on them at all. I think he certainly speaks for himself," spokeswoman Tammy Bruce told reporters on Tuesday.
When pressed on whether Huckabee’s comments reflected a shift in the Trump administration’s policy or were made independently, Bruce deflected, suggesting the inquiry be directed to the White House.
"I'm not going to parse the ambassador's remarks...I'm also not going to speak about the nature of what people say that he was claiming or not claiming. I’m not going to have a speculative conversation about that right now," she stated.
In a Bloomberg News interview, Huckabee was quoted saying “I don’t think so” when asked if a Palestinian state remains a US policy goal.
"Unless there are some significant things that happen that change the culture, there’s no room for it," he stated to media.
Regarding sanctions imposed by Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and the UK on Israeli Cabinet ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, Bruce described the US stance as "extremely unhelpful."
"It will do nothing to get us closer to a ceasefire in Gaza," she said, urging these nations to focus on the "real culprit"—the Palestinian group Hamas.
"We remain concerned about any step that would further isolate Israel from the international community. If our allies want to help, they should focus on supporting Special Envoy (Steve) Witkoff's negotiations and backing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation when it comes to food and aid," she added.
Since October 2023, Israel has rejected international ceasefire appeals and launched a deadly offensive in Gaza, killing nearly 55,000 Palestinians, predominantly women and children.
Humanitarian organizations warn of impending famine for the enclave’s over 2 million residents.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges related to Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide lawsuit at the International Court of Justice over its actions against civilians in the territory.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
