US Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield reiterated support for establishing a Palestinian state

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Representative to the United Nations, completed visit in Israel.

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Representative to the United Nations, met yesterday with Israel’s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid, and Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli.

According U.S. Mission to the United Nations Spokesperson Olivia Dalton, during her meeting with Prime Minister Bennett, the two officials discussed the deep and enduring ties between the U.S. and Israel, our shared commitment to battle anti-Israel bias at the UN, and Iranian aggression in the region. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield reiterated President Biden’s pledge that Iran will not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. She also applauded Israel’s donations of COVID vaccines, highlighted our nations’ commitment to addressing climate change, and discussed mutual values of promoting diversity and inclusion in society.

In her meeting with President Herzog, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield expressed appreciation for his work to improve intercommunal relations in Israel. The two leaders discussed the United States and Israel’s shared commitment to combating anti-Semitism and promoting Holocaust education globally, including through the UN system.

In her meeting with Foreign Minister Lapid, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield reaffirmed the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to strengthening and supporting the Abraham Accords and normalization agreements. She reiterated the U.S. position on preserving a two-state solution in which Israel lives in peace and security alongside a viable and democratic Palestinian state and discussed practical steps to reduce tensions.

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield and Transportation Minister Merav Michaeli discussed the role of women leaders and ways to promote diversity and inclusion in society, including the Israeli Gender Equality Ministerial Committee and UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield discussed how integral infrastructure is to strengthening national security and advancing shared global priorities, including tackling the climate crisis and furthering economic development, and noted President Biden’s signing yesterday of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. They also discussed the challenge posed by China and other authoritarian states.

U.S. Mission to the United Nations Spokesperson Olivia Dalton noted that in each of her meetings with Israeli officials, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield underscored that Israelis and Palestinians alike deserve equal measures of freedom, security, and prosperity. “This is important in its own right and as a means to advance prospects for a two-state solution.”