White House opposes 'unilateral recognition' for Palestinian state

The White House said Wednesday that President Joe Biden opposes "unilateral recognition" of a Palestinian state, after recent moves by Spain, Ireland and Norway to normalize relations.

Biden "is a strong supporter of a two-state solution and has been throughout his career," National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said.

Biden "believes a Palestinian state should be realized through direct negotiations between the parties, not through unilateral recognition," she said.

The comments did not directly mention the decision to formally recognize the State of Palestine by the three European countries, all close allies of the United States.

Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have been pushing Israel to move forward on a timeline for a Palestinian state, in part by dangling the prospect of Saudi Arabia normalizing relations with Israel.

But Washington vetoed a recent UN Security Council bid to recognize the State of Palestine, saying that recognition could only come through negotiations that take into account Israel's security interests.