JERUSALEM, March 29 (UPI) -- Two coalition partners of Israeli Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu demanded he renounce support of a Palestinian state, but he refused, sources say.
Without naming the coalition partners, The Jerusalem Post quoted unnamed sources "close to Netanyahu" as saying the prime minister designate refused to insert a clause into his governing coalition agreement opposing a Palestinian state.
The sources told the newspaper there are no major differences between Netanyahu and the international community on the subject of a "two-state" Middle East solution, even though he has yet to utter the phrase "two states for two peoples" and his key right-wing coalition partners bitterly oppose such a solution.
The Post quoted its sources predicting Netanyahu would soon make his views on a two-state solution clear to U.S. and European leaders, who strongly support negotiations to create a sovereign state for Palestinian Arabs living in Israeli-occupied territories.
The European Union last week sent its second strong warning to Netanyahu that ties with Israel could suffer if he rejected a two-state solution, the Post said.
