White House affirms support for Palestinian state after Netanyahu win

WASHINGTON — The White House says the United States will re-evaluate the best way to bring about a two-state resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s election victory.

Just ahead of the election, Netanyahu reversed his former position by opposing the creation of a separate Palestinian state.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest says President Barack Obama still believes the best solution is for Palestinians to have an independent state. But he says the U.S. will re-evaluate its approach in light of Netanyahu’s comments.

Earnest says Obama will call Netanyahu soon to congratulate him. He says Secretary of State John Kerry has already congratulated Netanyahu by phone. Earnest spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One as the president flew toward Cleveland for an event focused on U.S. manufacturing.