President Biden offered a forceful defense of the state of Israel on Friday on the heels of Israel’s brutal 11-day bombing campaign in Gaza that killed over 200 Palestinians, including over 60 children.
Some progressive Democrats are calling for the US to cut off arms sales or leverage military aid to Israel due to its treatment of Palestinians. But Biden insisted his view has not changed. “There is no shift in my commitment to the security of Israel. Period. No shift, not at all,” he said at a press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
Biden also said that a two-state solution is the “only answer” to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. “We still need a two-state solution. It is the only answer. The only answer,” he said.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have made a two-state solution no longer a realistic option. The Trump administration’s so-called “peace plan” that was released in 2020 laid out a two-state solution that annexed Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley in the West Bank, leaving little for the Palestinians.
Trump’s plan included Israeli-only access roads cutting through what was supposed to be a Palestinian state. If enacted, the plan would have essentially formalized apartheid rule. Unless the Israelis are willing to give up their settlements, the Palestinians would never accept a two-state solution. Settlement activity spiked in recent years, and President Biden is not pressuring Israel to stop.
Biden pivots to the “two state plan’, which he knows full well Israel will never allow that. The one “plan” Israel has is to expand, expand, expand, moving or exterminating Arabs in the way.
Yes, justice has always been the only solution. Russian, American, and European Israelis have to go back home, the land returned to the former owners, reparations, and a Nuremberg style tribunal to bring the Zio-nazis to book.
I’m moderately happy with Biden’s performance as president. The Iran deal looks like it might return properly, the Afghanistan withdrawal implemented, and Israel has been forced to stop bombing after 11 days. With luck, peace agreements in Syria and Yemen could be achieved. This isn’t thanks to Biden’s efforts, but because he’s not doing very much overall, and therefore he’s giving problems the chance to solve themselves. That’s a positive change.
Sarcasm?
Precisely what I thought. Thank you.
Biden knows full well that he has troops parked over a Syrian oil field.
Biden knows full well that the Zionist are in control of a oil and gas field in the occupied territories.
https://unctad.org/news/unrealized-potential-palestinian-oil-and-gas-reserves
Biden knows full well that Yemen has 3,000,000,000 barrels of proven oil reserves.
Follow the f-cking money.
…….”Follow the f-cking money.”……Don’t think I could have said it any better.
Not at all. Just very low expectations being somewhat exceeded.
Ok then. I see nothing to be happy about. The Iran deal can’t go anywhere. Once the ink is dry the US/Israel will be demanding to have “talks” on Iran’s missile program, their alleged terrorism and their presence and support of pretty much anyone. The sanctions that were lifted will be re-instated in their own category, free from being associated with the JCPOA. The Afghanistan “withdrawal” is a complete joke. It’s almost like when Israel left Gaza. We still planning on being in range to bomb them when we damn well please and we are still pouring money into that never ending nightmare. And Israel should have been forced to stop bombing the minute they started bombing. There will no peace anywhere until we leave the region entirely and we know that isn’t ever going to happen. He’s exceeded my expectations also but in the opposite direction.
As I understand, for Iran what is important is only the removal of one type of US sanction – the extra territorial sanctions. They don’t care of the USA refused to by their goods, or refuses to sell them stuff, or doesn’t allow Iranians to travel to the USA. What they are demanding is that the USA stops penalising other countries from trading with Iran – they want to be able to resume normal relationships of trade, investment and banking with non-US countries. This is I think an achievable aim – if Congress adds lots of new sanctions to penalise Iran, that won’t matter as long as they aren’t extra territorial sanctions. It should be within Biden’s capacity to prevent treaty-breaking extra territorial sanctions.
The situation in Afghanistan will I think depend upon Afghanistan’s other neighbours – will they support the Afghan government, will they support the Taliban, or will they actually try and encourage both sides to make peace. The closure of US military bases in Afghanistan and the withdrawal of official US personnel should make peacemaking a bit easier.
For Palestine, what I find encouraging is the change in tone of debate in the USA. I think that will, over the next few years, change the behaviour of the Israeli government. The tide is moving against them, so they will try and sort out problems and find solutions – they know the status quo is now unsustainable.
I looked up two state solution — and could not find proposed boundaries of this much talked about solution. As the approved settlements have proliferated throughout occupied territory, which one of these are to be sacrificed for two state solution.
And Biden is wrong. For the first time in American history, a neighboring state entered Gaza in the middle of bombing campaign, open borders for emergency supplies, brought in ambulances to provide first aid, and transported some critically wounded, In the past, Egypt would not have taken such actions, as Israel would not have allowed it.
There is a weakness there. In the face of growing global outrage, confused and nervous EU attempt at formulating statement — and open, hostile stance by the rest of the universe — US had to do something.
It remains to be seen if Israel actually goes along with a permanent presence. This may be an issue between Hamas and Abbas,
It appears that US believes that Egypt must be grateful. Not likely.
https://www.globalresearch.ca/f-35s-bombing-gaza/5745665
US F-35s bombing Gaza. I didn’t realize Israel was so wealthy.
Getting the kinks out before attacking Iran?
A ‘forceful defence’ is what we arm Israel for, not defense at all but aggression. If they only wanted to defend themselves, that would cost us nothing.
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2021/05/23/countering-the-american-way-of-war-proof-of-concept/
Patrick Armstrong discusses opponent’s weaknesses.
Did Israel ask for a ceasefire because they’ve run out of missiles? Will the missile exchanges start anew within a month?
Inexpensive missiles (Hamas) versus the expensive variety (Israel).
If a 2-state solution is what you believe in, write it up and submit it to the UN. Push for a Palestinian state. Israel cannot veto the Security Council. If Israel wants to go to war with the US, so be it.
Pretty obvious who owns this administration, just like the last one.. We are all Palestinians now.