Just a week after Donald Trump's surprise win, America's most powerful pro-Israel organization has dropped the two-state solution from the talking points of its "peace process" page.
Previously, the page had stated that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) “strongly supports a two-state solution and works tirelessly to bring peace to the region.”
AIPAC denies that the change to the website signals a policy shift, but some pro-Palestine advocates have sounded alarm bells, especially since it comes at the heels of Donald Trump's presidential election.
Trump's Middle East advisor Jason Greenblatt has said that Trump does not want to "impose" the two-state solution on negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians. He has also said that Trump would not take a stance on Israel's illegal settlements in the West Bank. It's a position he reiterated only a few days ago.
>“Mr. Trump does not view the settlements as being an obstacle >for> peace," >Greenblatt told >Israel’s Army Radio earlier this week.
The move marks a parting of ways with decades of bipartisan US foreign policy that calls for an independent Palestinian state.
In July, the Republican National Platform dropped any reference to the two-state solution in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump tweeted that the new Republican platform is the "most pro-Israel of all time"
So, does this spell the end of the two-state solution?
Some members of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu seem to think so.
“Trump’s victory is an opportunity for Israel to immediately retract the notion of a Palestinian state in the center of the country, which would hurt our security and just cause,” Education Minister Naftali Bennett said.
>“This is the position of the president-elect, as written in his platform, and it should be our policy, plain and simple.”
Some analysts say that the modification to AIPAC's website reflects a move to "seize the opportunity" to get on Trump's tidal wave.
>"AIPAC may simply be moving to seize the opportunity of the election of Donald Trump to reveal Israel’s real agenda: permanent annexation of the occupied West Bank," writes Palestine pundit Ali Abunimah. >Meanwhile, Israel is on the brink of a settlement building spree in occupied East Jerusalem, with 7,000 illegal housing units about to be approved by Jerusalem City Hall. >>The links to Trump's election could not be more stark. >>“Now that Trump [won], I hope will put Jerusalem as a priority, I hope we are heading for a fresh start,” said Meir Turgeman, head of Jerusalem's Municipality Planning unit."“All these plans in Givat Hamatos, Gilo, Ramat Shlomo, all these have been waiting for two years at least.”