Peaceful middle eastern countries full#
This makes sense and, in any case, the much-coveted next step in the process, normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, seems for now at least linked to progress on, if not the full achievement of, a two-state solution. If Biden can find some dividend for the Palestinians, it might not only help improve the situation on the ground, but also help the Palestinian leadership repair its debilitating internal divisions and isolation within the region. From the Palestinian perspective, the alliances between Israel and the Arab world are generally viewed with deep suspicion and even hostility. In an effort to put his stamp on it, Biden spoke to the Palestinians about reinvigorating the peace process with the “momentum” generated from the new alliances being created by Israel and the Arab states. This perhaps made it easier for Biden to adopt the normalization processes between Israel and Arab states, which was a pillar of the Trump presidency's Middle East policy. He also noted his support for a two-state solution “along the 1967 lines,” a crucial reference point that Trump and his allies on the Israeli right sought to ignore. At the same time, Biden also invoked his Irish ancestry, noting that his background “was not fundamentally unlike the Palestinian people” in their struggle against oppression.įor the Palestinians, Biden announced some $316 million in assistance as well as several measures apparently agreed to by Israel aimed at improving daily life in the West Bank. Biden reiterated his conviction that he is a Zionist, noting that one not need be Jewish to be a Zionist. But while a renewal of talks is unlikely, Biden appears more comfortable dealing with both sides, in contrast to the approach of his predecessor, and some of the president's statements were aimed at endearing him to both sides. For many, the renewal of assistance without reversing Trump policies such as the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, amounts to a change in tone only. This comes after a breakdown in relations and a cutoff of all assistance during the Trump administration. relations with the Palestinian leadership. leadership with traditional allies in the Arab World Share on Twitter Breaking from the Trump Yearsīiden's meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas marked the long overdue reset of U.S. engagement going forward.īiden's primary goal was clearly to reassert U.S. Nevertheless, it may be worth a closer look at the visit and what it might mean for U.S. But even these “practical” steps will not come easily, and on their own are unlikely to fundamentally change political realities on the ground. relations with the Palestinian people and the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority renew and, where possible, increase assistance to the Palestinians in areas such as the East Jerusalem Hospital Network that can improve living conditions and finally, to make use of congressional funding to revive some form of peacebuilding that can adapt to the current context. In this respect, Biden and his advisors are looking at ways to improve U.S. Indeed, you might need to strain that eye a little, but one could say that the president laid a small but important foundation for the potential re-engagement of the United States in the effort to resolve the conflict. But while the bulk of the post-trip analysis was focused on the Saudi part of the visit, there are a few points worth highlighting from the Israel/Palestine portion that may be important to keep an eye on. leadership with traditional allies in the Arab world, and how well he did that, if at all, is a matter of debate. His primary goal was clearly to reassert U.S.
Add to that heightened rhetoric, tensions in Jerusalem over holy sites, the constant potential for violence, as seen in Gaza earlier this month, and it all adds up to a context that is barely conducive for a phone call between leaders let alone peace talks.īut Biden did visit, and unlike his predecessors over the last four decades or more, he didn't come with a specific plan to resolve the conflict. First and foremost, there are deep internal political divisions on both sides with Israel heading to its fifth election in four years this November, and an ever-widening political, social, and economic gap between a Palestinian Authority administration in parts of the West Bank and a Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. The president didn't really need to travel all the way from Washington to tell the Israelis and Palestinians that the time isn't right to restart a peace process. Following the much-discussed presidential visit to the Middle East, there seems to be at least one point of consensus concerning the stopover in Israel and the occupied West Bank last month.
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