Biden insists on two-state solution - threat against settlers
US President Joe Biden has once again spoken out in favor of the so-called two-state solution in the Middle East conflict and outlined how he envisions the time after the end of the Gaza war. In an opinion piece published in the "Washington Post" on Saturday, he also brought sanctions against extremist settlers in the West Bank into play. The Democrat once again criticized "the extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank".
He emphasized that he had strongly advocated to the Israeli leadership that those who carried out this violence should be held accountable. "The United States is prepared to take action of its own, including imposing entry bans on extremists who attack civilians in the West Bank," he warned. The Democrat explicitly did not use the word settlers.
In the long speech, Biden outlined what he believes the future in the region should look like - and how the path to it should be shaped. "This much is clear: a two-state solution is the only way to ensure the long-term security of both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples," Biden wrote. "While it may seem at the moment that this future has never been further away, the crisis has made it more urgent than ever."
Biden: No forcible displacement of Palestinians
Biden emphasized that the Palestinian people deserve their own state and a future free from the Islamist Hamas. "The images from the Gaza Strip and the deaths of thousands of civilians, including children, break my heart too." The goal must now be to end the war for good and break the cycle of violence. "Something stronger" must be built in the Middle East so that history does not keep repeating itself. The Gaza Strip should "never again be used as a platform for terrorism", said Biden.
However, the Democrat also made it clear once again: "There must be no forcible expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade and no reduction in the size of the territory." After the end of this war, the voices of the Palestinian population must be heard. Therefore, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank should be reunited under a "unified government structure" under a revitalized Palestinian Authority. At the same time, a two-state solution should be worked towards.
The 80-year-old also wrote that the USA would continue to stand behind Ukraine, which had been attacked by Russia. "Both (Kremlin leader Vladimir) Putin and Hamas are fighting to wipe a neighboring democracy off the map." America cannot and will not allow this to happen. "The world is looking to us to solve the problems of our time. That is the job of leadership, and America will do it."
Source: www.dpa.com
