U.S. ambassador to Israel: Washington no longer pursuing independent Palestinian state

The U.S. is no longer pursuing the goal of an independent Palestinian state under the current circumstances, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in an interview with Bloomberg News published on Tuesday.

When asked if a Palestinian state remains a goal of the U.S. policy, he replied: "I don't think so."

Huckabee went on to suggest that any future Palestinian entity would have to be located outside the West Bank and provided by a Muslim country rather than requiring Israel to "cede territory."

He added that allowing a Palestinian state to be established in the West Bank would require significant changes, which may not occur "in our lifetime."

"Unless there are some significant things that happen that change the culture, there's no room for it," Huckabee was quoted as saying. 

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce later said the ambassador "speaks for himself," and it is the president who is responsible for U.S. policy in the Middle East.

Over two-thirds of United Nations member states have currently recognized the State of Palestine. The international community largely agrees that the only viable solution to the Palestinian issue is the implementation of the two-state solution. This would involve the creation of a fully sovereign and independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, fostering peaceful coexistence between Palestine and Israel, and ensuring lasting peace in the Middle East.

Huckabee's comments come just one week after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged world leaders to keep two-state solution 'alive' at UN Headquarters in New York.

"And for those that doubt about the two-state solution, I ask: What is the alternative? Is it a one-state solution in which either the Palestinians are expelled or forced to live in their land without rights?" said the UN chief.

Later this month, French and Saudi diplomats will host a conference at the UN aimed at laying out a roadmap for an eventual Palestinian state.