UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that it would restore relations with Palestinians and renew aid to Palestinian refugees, a reversal of the Trump administration’s cut and a key element of his new support for a two-state solution to the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Acting US Ambassador Richard Mills announced Biden’s approach to a virtual meeting of the high-level Security Council, saying the new US administration believes it “remains the best way to to secure the future of Israel as a democratic and Jewish state while maintaining the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians. ” for a state of one’s own and for living with dignity and security. “
The administration of President Donald Trump provided unprecedented support to Israel, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv, reducing financial assistance to the Palestinians, and reversing the course on the illegitimacy of Israeli settlements on land claimed by the Palestinians.
Israel captured East Jerusalem and the West Bank in the 1967 war. The international community views the two areas as occupied territory and the Palestinians are looking for them as part of a future independent state. Israel has built an extensive network of settlements that has housed nearly 700,000 Jewish settlers in the West Bank and Jerusalem since their capture in 1967.
The peace plan presented by Trump a year ago envisions a disconnected Palestinian state that will transmit to Israel key parts of the West Bank, siding with Israel on key controversial issues, including the borders and status of Jerusalem and Jewish settlements. He was vehemently rejected by the Palestinians.
Mills made clear the Biden administration’s more equitable approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Under the new administration, U.S. policy will be to support a mutually agreed two-state solution, in which Israel lives in peace and security alongside a viable Palestinian state,” he said.
Mills said peace cannot be imposed on either side and stressed that progress and a final solution require the participation and agreement of Israelis and Palestinians.
“To advance these goals, the Biden administration will restore the U.S.’s credible commitment to the Palestinians and Israelis,” he said.
“This will involve renewing U.S. relations with the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian people,” Mills said.
“President Biden has made it clear that he intends to restore U.S. assistance programs that support economic development and humanitarian aid programs for the Palestinian people and take steps to reopen diplomatic relations closed by the last one. American administration “. Mills said.
Trump cut funding for the UN Labor and Relief Agency known as UNRWA, which was created to help the 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were forced to leave their homes during the war surrounding the Israel in 1948. It provides education, health care, food and other assistance to some 5.5 million refugees and their descendants in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as in Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. The US was the main donor to UNRWA and the loss of funds has created a financial crisis for the agency.
The Trump administration closed the Palestine Liberation Organization’s office in Washington in September 2018 and effectively closed the Palestinian diplomatic mission in the United States.
Mills said the United States hopes to begin work to slowly build trust for both sides to create an environment to reach a two-state solution.
To pursue this goal, Mills said, “the United States will urge the Israeli government and the Palestinians to avoid unilateral measures that hinder the settlement of two states, such as annexation of the territory, settlement activity, demolition, incitement to violence and provision of compensation for persons in prison for acts of terrorism “.
Israel has accused the Palestinians of inciting violence and has vehemently objected to the Palestinian Authority paying the families of those imprisoned for attacking or killing Israelis.
Mills stressed that “the United States will maintain its strong support for Israel,” opposing unilateral resolutions and other actions in international bodies that unjustly distinguish Israel and promote Israel’s position and participation in the UN and other organizations. international.
The Biden administration welcomes the recent normalization of relations between Israel and several Arab nations and will urge other countries to establish ties, Mills said.
“Still, we recognize that Arab-Israeli normalization is not a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace,” he said.
Mills stressed that the full state of Israeli-Palestinian policy and the fact that trust between the two sides “will not be reduced” do not release UN member countries from the responsibility of trying to preserve the viability of a state two. solution. “
Before speaking on Mills, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki harshly criticized the Trump administration for using “the power and influence of the United States to support Israel’s illegal efforts to consolidate its occupation and control “and reiterated the hopes of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas” for the resumption of relations and a positive commitment “.
“Now is the time to heal and repair the damage left by the former U.S. administration,” he said. “We look forward to the reversal of the illegal and hostile measures taken by the Trump administration and working together for peace.”
Malki called for the reactivation of the Middle East Mediator Quartet (US, UN, European Union and Russia) and reiterated Abbas’ call for an international peace conference “that could mark a turning point in this conflict.” . He also expressed hope that “the United States will play an important role in multilateral peace efforts in the Middle East.”
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is convinced that the Quartet, which works closely with both sides and the Arab states, “can play a very, very effective role.”
In support of Abbas’ call for an international conference, Lavrov proposed holding a ministerial meeting this spring or summer with the Quartet and Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, as well as Saudi Arabia, to discuss the situation. and assist “in launching a dialogue” between Israelis and Palestinians.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said “Palestinians have come under unprecedented pressure from the former US administration” and said the 22 members of the organization hope Biden will correct the Trump’s actions and to work with international and regional parties to relaunch “a serious peace process”.
But Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the council that instead of focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it should focus on Iran, which “does not try to hide its intention. to destroy the only Jewish state in the world. “
On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he suggested that the council discuss what he called “the real obstacles to peace: Palestinian incitement and a culture of hatred.”
Israel remains willing to make peace “when there is a willing partner,” Erdan said, accusing Abbas of inciting violence and saying he should come to the negotiating table “without making outrageous demands and not convening another conference.” useless international … (which is just a distraction “.