The Obama administration believes it was “appropriate” for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netahyahu to apologize to Israeli Arabs for comments he made last week on the eve of his re-election.
In urging his supporters to get out and vote, Mr. Netanyahu said last week that Arabs were voting in “droves” in an effort to oust him from office. The prime minister apologized for those comments Monday, and administration officials says such an apology was the right move.
“I think we’ve made pretty clear the serious concerns we had with those comments, so if that’s what he said it certainly seems appropriate,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Monday.
But the administration still isn’t convinced Mr. Netanyahu believes in the concept of a Palestinian state, saying there is “legitimate doubt” about whether Israel will pursue a two-state solution.
Just before the Israeli election, Mr. Netanyahu said there would not be a Palestinian state under his watch. He has since clarified his comments multiple times and said he is open to a two-state solution under the right circumstances.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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