Days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netan­yahu repeated his opposition to Palestinian statehood, the Senate this week went on record backing a two-state solution for the Israelis and Palestinians as the only viable option for Israel’s peace, security and future as a Jewish democracy.

Sen. Brian Schatz, D- Hawaii, on Wednesday told reporters the amendment to the national security emergency supplemental spending bill had already drawn 48 co-sponsors. Bipartisan negotiations on the broader measure still need to hash out the details of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians and for domestic border security.

The Schatz amendment would reaffirm long-standing U.S. policy of supporting a “negotiated comprehensive solution to the Israeli-­Palestinian conflict resulting in two states with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace, security, dignity, and mutual recognition,” according to the text.

Schatz said he didn’t want his amendment to make it harder to pass the supplemental bill, but he also noted that Netanyahu wouldn’t have the final word on the decision of statehood.

Recent statements by Netanyahu on security control over the entire area west of Jordan were met with strong criticism by many Capitol Hill Democrats still committed to a two-state solution. Some Republicans have recently indicated they are less committed. Schatz said he’s talking to Republicans about co-sponsoring his bill.

Prior to the Oct. 7 mass terrorist attacks on Israel by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, hope for an eventual two-state solution had been at historically low levels due to the lack of an effective and unified Palestinian government in the territories and because of increasing Israeli expansion of settlements in the West Bank.

“The prime minister’s voice is obviously very relevant here, but it’s not the final word on the question of the future of Israel and Palestine,” Schatz said. “This is going to be a multilateral conversation, and even within Israel it’s a multilateral conversation because he currently leads a coalition government and a coalition war Cabinet. I think people were correctly alarmed about what Mr. Netanyahu said, but I think people should remember that there is no individual that can say yes or no to this.’”

After Netanyahu made those remarks, Schatz said his office in “very, very short order” was able to gather the 48 co-sponsors for his amendment, which he said had been in development as stand-alone legislation before the Oct. 7 attacks.

“It is just a fact that the prime minister’s statements last week accelerated our efforts and also turbocharged our efforts where some people felt a need to clarify that this remains the position of the United States Congress,” said Schatz, who is Jewish and a member of both the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Appropriations State-Foreign Operations Subcommittee.

Schatz said he would not insist his amendment receive a floor vote as a condition of his support for the emergency supplemental measure.

“Frankly speaking, the supplemental will be hard enough to land, and I am not in the business of increasing the degree of difficulty,” he said, adding he was open to refiling his proposal as an amendment to another bill or as a stand-alone measure.

The Hawaii Democrat said he had “very good conversations” with some Senate Republicans about joining as co-sponsors, but they have “caveats” related to wanting to see language added about changes to the Palestinian Authority, which has been criticized for corruption and ineffectiveness.