The United States stands with Israel, but the Palestinian people deserve their own state, writes US President Joe Biden in a text published in the Washington Post. The American leader emphasizes that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank should be governed by a “renewed” Palestinian Authority.
In a text devoted mainly to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the president refers to the future of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Both areas, Biden believes, “should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a renewed Palestinian Authority, as we all work toward a two-state solution,” Biden writes in an op-ed published in The Washington Post.
“The fight to erase neighboring democracy from the map”
“Both Putin and Hamas are fighting to wipe out neighboring democracy from the map. Both Putin and Hamas hope to destroy broader regional stability and integration and exploit the resulting chaos. America cannot and will not allow this to happen. For our own interests national security – and for the good of the whole world,” argues the president.
Biden reiterates that USA “stand firmly with the people of Israel as they defend themselves against the murderous nihilism of Hamas.” He recalls that on October 7, Hamas murdered 1,200 people. “Infants and small children, mothers and fathers, grandparents, disabled people and even Holocaust survivors were mutilated and murdered. Entire families were murdered in their homes. Young people were shot at a music festival. Bodies were riddled with bullets and burned beyond recognition” – writes the president, recalling that “Hamas has promised that it will mercilessly try to repeat the attack of October 7. It has made it very clear that it will not stop (attempts to repeat attacks).” The American leader assured that his administration was working tirelessly “to do everything in our power to free the hostages.”
Biden: The Palestinian people deserve their own state
At the same time, the US president states that the Palestinian people deserve their own state and a future free from Hamas. It emphasizes that there can be no “forced displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, no re-occupation, no siege or blockade, no reduction of territory.” At the same time, however, Biden acknowledges that Israel must maintain “overall military responsibility” in Gaza “for the foreseeable future.” “Our goal should not be to simply stop war today. The goal should be to end the war, the endless cycle of violence, and build a strong structure in Gaza and the Middle East that would prevent history from repeating itself,” Biden writes.
“Everything is clear: a two-state solution is the only way to ensure the long-term security of both the Israeli and Palestinian people. (…) A two-state solution – two nations living side by side with equal means of freedom, opportunity and dignity – is the direction in which that the path to peace must lead. Achieving this will require commitments from Israelis and Palestinians, as well as from the United States and our allies and partners,” Biden emphasizes. However, as the president emphasizes, it must start with ensuring that Gaza “must never again be used as a platform for terrorism. (…) And when the war is over, the voices of the Palestinian people and their aspirations must be at the center of post-crisis governance.” Gauze.”
Four-hour breaks for civilians
At the same time, Biden states that “extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must end” and those responsible for this violence must be held accountable. The President recalled the US participation in restoring humanitarian aid supplies to the Gaza Strip and noted that Israel organized daily four-hour pauses during which Palestinian civilians could evacuate to the south of the Strip. “This is in stark contrast to Hamas’s terrorist strategy: hide among Palestinian civilians. Use children and innocent people as human shields. Place terrorist tunnels under hospitals, schools, mosques and apartment buildings. Maximize the death and suffering of innocent people – Israel and Palestine. If Hamas cared at all about the lives of Palestinians, it would have released all the hostages, laid down its weapons and handed over the leaders and those responsible for October 7,” Biden stressed.
Prime Minister of Israel: The Palestinian Authority “has no competences”
The Prime Minister of Israel commented on President Biden’s suggestion on Saturday Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu assessed that Palestinian Authority currently has “no competence” to govern the Gaza Strip. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has still not condemned the October 7 Hamas attack, and some of his ministers are “celebrating what happened,” the Israeli prime minister said.
Gaza StripPAP – Ziemienowicz Adam, Maciej Zieliński
Main photo source: ABACA POOL