Biden, with Abbas, affirms that the Palestinian people deserve their own state
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, said Friday that the Palestinian people deserve their own state and promised to continue working to revive the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, although he acknowledged that the ground is not "fertile" right now.
He made the remarks alongside Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas at the presidential palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
"The Palestinian people deserve a state of their own that is independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous. Two states for two peoples. Both with deep roots in this land," Biden said, with three Palestinian and three American flags in the background.
He acknowledged that right now the ground is not "fertile" for a return to the negotiating table, but reiterated his commitment to peace between Palestinians and Israelis.
In addition, he announced an aid of 201 million dollars for the programmes that the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, so that since he came to power in January 2021 the president has given that agency more than 618 million dollars.
His predecessor Donald Trump (2017-2021) curbed aid to UNRWA and made major concessions to Israel, prompting the Palestinian leadership to cut ties with Washington.
Biden said he has also been in talks with Israel to give Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza access to 4G mobile phone technology.
Palestinian telecommunications companies have been unable to offer such services to their customers because of Israeli restrictions, although there have been attempts to allow the type of connection to be upgraded so that Palestinians can access the internet at higher speeds.
Prior to the press conference, Biden and Abbas participated in a ceremony at which the US and Palestinian anthems were played. They also held a bilateral meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Shtayeh and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, among others.
On his arrival at the presidential palace in Bethlehem, Biden was greeted by Abbas and two children carrying flowers.
Earlier, the US president had been at the Augusta Victoria Hospital in occupied East Jerusalem, where he announced $100 million in aid for the Palestinian hospital network.
On the route from the hospital to the presidential palace, the presidential motorcade passed under several signs with the message: "Mr President, this is apartheid".