Biden says Palestinians need ‘political horizon’ towards peace

Bethlehem, Palestinian Territories – (AFP):

Palestinians require a political path towards peace with Israel, even if a two-state solution to the conflict appears far off, US President Joe Biden said on Friday as he met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Biden, making his first visit to the Middle East which also included a brief stint in the Palestinian territories, reaffirmed a “full” US effort towards accountability over the killing of Palestinian-American Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh.

Biden earlier emphasized his support to Israel an an ‘iron clad commitment. He has now expressed support for Palestinian statehood as well. However, he acknowledged that given the ongoing escalation and recent violent events, “the goal of the two states seems so far away.” The peace process has been stalled since 2014.

“There must be a political horizon that the Palestinian people can actually see or at least feel. We cannot allow the hopelessness to steal away the future,” Biden said during his visit to Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Abbas articulated long-standing Palestinian frustrations over Israel’s five-decade occupation.

The veteran leader said Palestinians “look forward” to US efforts to “stop settlements and settler violence” and an end to the “expulsion of Palestinians from their land”.

“The key to peace begins with recognising the state of Palestine,” Abbas said.

Biden described the violent death of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as an “enormous loss to the essential work of sharing with the world the story of the Palestinian people.”

While the United Nations has concluded that she was killed by Israeli fire, Washington continues to support the Israeli position, concluding that ‘no evidence was found’ to suggest Israeli forces intended to kill an unarmed journalist.

“I hope that her legacy will inspire more young people to carry out her work on reporting the truth and telling stories that are too often overlook. The United States will continue to insist on a full and transparent accounting of her death,” Biden said.

Having described himself as a Zionist and relations between Israel and the US as ‘stronger and deeper than ever’ while signing massive arms deals with Israel, most Palestinians find no hope despite Biden’s rhetoric in support for Palestine.