The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has failed mainly due to the inaction of US President Joe Biden, who has spoken in favor of the two state solution to the conflict but has done nothing to confirm his words, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Maliki told Sputnik
RAMALLAH (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th February, 2023) The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has failed mainly due to the inaction of US President Joe Biden, who has spoken in favor of the two state solution to the conflict but has done nothing to confirm his words, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Maliki told Sputnik.
"Biden, since the first day he took office, made it very clear that he supports the two state solution ... The question is, and we asked them (the United States), What have you done in order to reflect that support in practical terms? What have you done in order to see that the two state solution is implemented on the ground? Absolutely nothing," al-Maliki said.
He recalled that Biden had reiterated his support to the two state solution and an independent Palestinian state many times, including during his face-to-face meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in July 2022. In addition, the US commitment to the principle was one more time voiced by US State Secretary Antony Blinken during his visit to the Middle East in January. However, the current US administration had made not the slightest effort to turn this support into real actions, the Palestinian top diplomat said.
"Biden is indeed the only US president in the last maybe five or six of them that did not present a plan of his own regarding Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Biden is the only one that did not appoint a special envoy to the Middle East peace process. So this is really very serious and it's very worrisome," al-Maliki told Sputnik.
The US has showed by its own actions that it does not want to really contribute to the resolution of the conflict between Israel and Palestine, but at the same time, Washington prevents other countries from playing any role in the issue, the Palestinian foreign minister said.
Regardless of what exactly forces the White House to act this way � whether it is a sign of weakness or fear of a possible Israeli reaction � the United States remains the only country that сan put pressure on Israel, the Palestinian top diplomat stated.
In this regard, it is especially important for the Biden administration to understand that its inaction adds fuel to the fire, as the Israelis interpret such behavior as "a sign of encouragement to continue with their crimes committed against the Palestinian people," such as using violence against the Palestinians, demolishing Palestinian homes, confiscating Palestinian land, and building illegal settlements in the West Bank, al-Maliki said.
"This is really how we see it. This is really how we interpret it, and this is really how the Israelis governments have reacted to it. So we always tell the Americans, you have to be involved. You have to present a plan of your own. You have to be present yourself. You have to be active in all matters. But unfortunately, they did not show any sign of readiness to be involved," the Palestinian top diplomat told Sputnik.
Relations between Israel and Palestine have been adversarial since the former's founding in 1948. Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition of their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity, and builds settlements in the occupied areas despite objections from the United Nations.
The US, together with the European Union, the UN and Russia, is one of key mediators in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The four together comprise the Middle East Quartet established in Madrid in 2002 with the aim to develop the Palestinian economy and its institutional empowerment, as well as promote a two state solution to the conflict.
