House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday that a unilateral Israeli move to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria would undermine American national security interests and harm bipartisan support for Israel in America.
Speaking at an online event organized by the Jewish Democratic Council of America and quoted by Haaretz, Pelosi added that she is “very concerned” about Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's statements promising a sovereignty as early as July 1.
Pelosi also noted that House Democrats passed a resolution recently in support of the two-state solution, which includes opposition to any unilateral steps, from either Israel or the Palestinians, which would harm the prospect of peace.
"Unilateral annexation undermines US national security interests, our interests," Pelosi said, adding that she believes in the importance of bipartisan support for Israel, and that annexation would undermine it.
At the same time, Pelosi also addressed her dismay of Palestinian Arab leadership or “of their capability to be good negotiating partners. I wish they could do better.”
Pelosi also criticized the Trump administration for waiting almost three years to release its Middle East plan.
“The US-Israel relationship is so important to us because of the nature of our two countries, the values we have in common,” Pelosi added.
US Democrats have expressed concern over the coalition agreement between Netanyahu and Defense Minister Benny Gantz, which stipulates that the government can apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria this coming July.
A group of US Senators from the Democratic party recently sent a letter to Netanyahu and Gantz in which they warned against an Israeli move to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.
In the letter, the senators warned that such a move would mark a dramatic reversal of decades of shared understandings between the United States, Israel, the Palestinians and the international community, and would impact Israel’s future, placing its security and democracy at risk.
Two weeks ago, former Vice President and presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden also said he opposes sovereignty, as part of his general opposition to “unilateral steps” that would “undercut the prospects for peace.”
