Bethlehem: US President Joe Biden said yesterday that the United States supports the two-state solution, noting that Palestinian people should feel hopeful even if the ground is not ripe to restart negotiations between the Palestinians and the Israelis.
In a joint press conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Biden said: “The Palestinian people deserve a state of their own that's independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous. Two states for two peoples, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land, living side by side in peace and security. Both states fully respecting the equal rights of the other citizens. Both peoples enjoying equal measure of freedom and dignity. That’s what this is fundamentally all about.”
Biden underlined that the US would not give up on peace, adding that Palestinian people should feel hopeful. He called on the Palestinian authority to play a key role in strengthening institutions, transparency, accountability and fighting corruption.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel must end its occupation of the territories of the State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem as its capital according to the 1967 borders.
Abbas added that he stressed to President Biden the importance of restoring the foundations of the peace process based on international legitimacy resolutions and the two-state solution on the 1967 borders.
Abbas pointed out that after 74 years of the Nakba, displacement and occupation, it is time for this occupation to end, for Palestinian people to gain their freedom and independence. Abbas urged the US to turn the page on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, end the acts of racial discrimination (apartheid) against Palestinians, reopen the US consulate in East Jerusalem, remove the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from the US terrorist list and reopen its office in Washington.
Palestinian President pointed out that only if Israel ends its occupation of the territories of the State of Palestine, including East Jerusalem, it will be accepted to live in peace, security and good neighbourhood with countries and peoples of the region.
Abbas stressed his full readiness to cooperate with the administration of President Biden to remove all obstacles to strong bilateral relations between the Palestinian and American sides, including removing the PLO from the US terrorist list and reopening the US consulate in East Jerusalem.
Meanwhile US President Joe Biden yesterday pledged a $100 million support for Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem, noting that the United States has supported Jerusalem hospitals by $85 million since 2014.
“Today, I’m pleased to announce the United States is committing an additional $100 million to support these hospitals, your staffs that work for the Palestinian people,” Biden said during a press conference at the Augusta Victoria Hospital in East Jerusalem.
The US President expressed pride that the US provides such support, hoping the aid will develop the health sector and improve the care provided to the Palestinian people. He explained that this support comes as a commitment from the US administration to develop the health sector to serve the Palestinian people, who deserve to live in dignity.
The US President is visiting the Palestinian territories, during which he met his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas. They discussed the situation in Palestine and several regional and international developments.
