Israeli president doubts possibility of two-state solution

Israeli president Reuven Rivlin has said he doesn’t know if it would be possible to implement a two-state solution for the two nations; a Palestinian state on 1967 borders and an Israeli state on 1948 borders.

In a speech given at the iftar dinner he hosted on Sunday for a number of Arab officials in Israel and reported by Israeli radio, Rivlin said: “Peace must be based on open borders and joint interests because these two nations were born to live together in this land and do not need to be forced to.”

“We need leadership on both sides, uninhibited by fear, nor feeding fear. Leadership that creates a common language and builds trust between the parties. Leadership that does not embolden the animosity and division between people, but rather strives valiantly each and every day towards a vision of hope and cooperation,” he added,‬

Rivlin also said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas “is responsible” for the latest incidents in which a number of Israelis were killed and injured, noting that “there are organisations violating the sanctity and holiness of Ramadan by attacking Israelis.”

Armed Palestinian groups have launched a series of attacks on Israeli targets over the past two weeks. Rivlin also condemned the “violation of holy sites” in reference to settler groups who violated Muslim and Christian religious sites, noting that those committing such violations are “harming the state of Israel first and foremost”.