Joe Biden Says ‘Ground Is Not Ripe at This Moment’ for Two-State Solution in the Middle East – Opinion

Joe Biden, the President of the United States, reiterated his support for two-state solutions in Middle East.

Biden said that while it was not the right time for negotiations to resume, however, Israeli gains in integration into the region should give the talks momentum. Biden spoke with Mahmoud Abubas, President of the Palestinian Authority.

“Even if the ground is not ripe at this moment to restart negotiations, the United States and my administration will not give up on trying to bring the Palestinians and Israelis and both sides closer together.”

Biden said that Israel has been improving its relationships with all of its neighbours in the region.

“I do believe in this moment, when Israel is improving relations with its neighbors throughout the region, we can harness that same momentum to reinvigorate the peace process between the Palestinian people and the Israelis.”

Biden said that he was among the first to support a two-state solution. He said that is the best way to achieve an “equal measure of security, prosperity, freedom, and democracy for the Palestinians as well as Israelis.”

“The Palestinian people deserve a state of their own that’s independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous … Two states for two people, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land. Peace and security can be achieved by living side-by side. Both states fully respect in equal rights of the others’ citizens, both peoples enjoying equal measure of freedom and dignity. That’s what this is fundamentally all about.”

Biden spoke out about the murder of Shireen Abu Akleh, a Palestinian-American journalist.

“I know the goal of a two state seems so far away … [While] restrictions on movement and travel or the daily worry of your children’s safety are real and they are immediate. People in Palestine are suffering right now. It is easy to feel. Your grief and frustration — in the United States we can feel it. But we never give up on the word peace.”

Biden has yet to mention Jamal Khashoggi’s murder during his visit to Saudi Arabia, according the White House.

As RedState’s Bog Hoge reported earlier this week, regarding meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman, Biden said:

“I’m not going to meet with MBS. I’m going to an international meeting, and he’s going to be part of it.”

It remains unclear whether Biden and MBS will have a one-on-one sit down or conversation, but the initial goal of Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia was to ask the Saudis for more oil production in order to lower gas prices, which doesn’t seem to have born fruit.

In terms of the two-state resolution, many US Presidents tried to bring together the Israelis as well as the Palestinians, in an effort to give Palestine autonomy. However, this failed. Will Biden’s effort change the minds of either nation? This remains to remain to be seen. It’s important to note that Israel is one of America’s strongest allies, so Biden is attempting to walk a fine line in order to get this deal done.

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