NEW YORK, June 10. /TASS/. The US no longer wholeheartedly endorses an independent state for Palestinians, US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in an interview with Bloomberg.
"Unless there are some significant things that happen that change the culture, there’s no room for it," the diplomat said. According to him, such changes are unlikely to occur "in our lifetime." When asked whether the creation of a Palestinian state remains the goal of the United States, Huckabee replied: "I don't think so."
He also admitted that if such a state were created, it could appear not on the territory of the West Bank, but in another Muslim state in the region. "Does it have to be in Judea and Samaria?" he said, using the biblical name used by the Israeli government for the West Bank, where about three million Palestinians live.
A conference on a Palestinian state will be held in New York next week with the support of France and Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. Senate confirmed Huckabee as ambassador to Israel in April. He was nominated by President Donald Trump, who said he was confident that Huckabee would be able to bring peace to the Middle East. According to the American media, Huckabee is a strong supporter of the Jewish state. He has previously spoken out in support of Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank.
Recognition of the State of Palestine
In 2024, as the situation in the Middle East deteriorated, Ireland, Spain and Norway recognized Palestine. Israel responded by recalling the ambassadors from Dublin, Madrid and Oslo for consultations. At the same time, the heads of the diplomatic missions of Ireland, Spain and Norway were summoned to the Foreign Ministry of the Jewish state.
The State of Palestine is recognized by 148 UN member states. There are Palestinian embassies and permanent missions in 95 countries. The Soviet Union, of which Russia is the legal successor, recognized the State of Palestine in 1988.