In West Bank, Biden endorses Palestinian state

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SATURDAY, JULY 16, 2022 | The Monitor, www.myrgv.com 11A In West Bank, Biden endorses Palestinian state But president admits that day it's 'far away' pation to end and for our steadfast people, again, to gain their freedom and in- dependence." Biden's closed-door meeting with Abbas in a Bethlehem government BY NOAH BIERMAN AND TRACY WILKINSON LOS ANGELES TIMES compound included nu- merous ( other Palestin- ian officials, including Hussein Sheikh, a senior member of the Palestine JERUSALEM - Presi- dent Joe Biden on Friday endorsed an independent Palestinian state, although he conceded that such a historic development was "far awav" and acknowl- edged the despair of the Palestinian people long frustrated in their fight for equal rights.

"Even if the ground is not ripe at this moment negotiations, the United States and my administration will not give up on bringing the Palestinians and the Is- raelis, both sides, closer together," Biden said dur- ing a joint appearance with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Beth- lehem.

"I know that the goal of the two states seems so far away while indignities like restrictions on movement and travel or the daily Liberation Organization often mentioned as the aging Abbas successor.

The four hours that Biden spent in Bethlehem and East Jerusalem was the only nod to Palestinians on the president's itiner- ary during a four-day trip to the Middle East that featured meetings with the leaders of Israel, Saudi Ara- Ahmad Gharabli | AFP | Getty | TNS From left, U.S.

President Joe Biden and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas shake hands after their statements to the media at the Mugataa Presidential Compound on Friday in the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. bia and other Gulf nations.

As he entered Bethle- hem, Biden was met with large signs worry of your children's safety are real and they are are irked, in particular, immediate," Biden added. that Biden has not re- are also angry that Israeli settlers have been steadi- versed the Trump-era people actions, ( including the ly gobbling up land that "The Palestinian are hurting now.

You can former president's decla- would complicate their just feel it. Your grief and ration that Jerusalem is ability to govern an even- frustration. In the United the capital of Israel. That tual independent nation. States, we can feel it." was a controversial deci- "Peace begins with Pal- and sion because Palestinians estine Jerusalem," Biden's remarks were Abbas said.

After decades unlikely to Pal- estinians' saive claim part of the contest- of Israeli control, the Pal- frustrations with U.S. ed holy city as the capital estinian leader said, "is it policy. They of an eventual state. They not the time for this occu- President, saying. "Mr. heid," this is apart- which had been erected by an Israeli hu- man rights traits of group.

Por- slain Palestin- ian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh also appeared on the walls of some buildings along the roads into Bethlehem. Journalists attending a joint appearance by Biden and Abbas also took symbolic step to draw at- tention to the killing by leaving an empty chair in the press area.

She was killed, likely by Israeli most forces while covering an Israel military raid in the West Bank town of Jenin on May 11. Her death and the U.S reluctance to blame Israel has infuriated Palestin- ians.

Biden said in his joini appearance with Abbas that the U.S. government "will continue to insist or full and transparent ac- countability for her death." "Her death is an enor- mous loss to the essen- tial work of sharing with the world the story of the Palestinian people," added. he Expectations were low even before Biden arrived The Biden administration has renewed diplomatic ties with the Palestinians and restored financial aid both of which had beer severed by former Presi- dent Trump.

But the White House has not reversed other Trump actions, fail- ing to reopen, for exam- ple, the U.S. Consulate in East Jerusalem, which had served Palestinians and was shuttered by Trump.

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"In West Bank, Biden endorses Palestinian state," The Monitor, 16 July 2022. Covering Palestine archive, CP-2022-053. https://coveringpalestine.org/archive/cp-2022-053