Rubio: Settlements are the smallest obstacle to 2-state solution

David Friedman’s nomination for United States Ambassador to Israel, which is to be voted on in the Senate on March 1, has provided many headlines – not least of which is Senator Marco Rubio’s speech of support for Israel and against the two-state solution.

Friedman was grilled by several Senators on Feb. 16, and was called on in particular to defend remarks that he has made in the past.

One Senator, however – former Presidential candidate Marco Rubio (R-Fl.) – took the opportunity not only to ridicule the need to do this, but to explain concisely why the U.S. should support Israel whole-heartedly and why a Palestinian state is not currently a realistic option.

Senator Rubio began his remarks by telling Friedman he finds it “unreal” that the latter is being put through this “ordeal” of having to account for isolated remarks he has made in the past.

“In particular, given some of the groups that are ratcheting all this up – for instance, J Street, which a few years ago invited Saeb Erekat to address their conference – a person who has justified the [terrorist] murder of Jews as self-defense. This is a group that has routinely attacked people who hold my views, with content that I, frankly, find to be a smear and mischaracterization of our positions…”

 

Read More: Rubio: Settlements are the smallest obstacle to 2-state solution – Israel National News