The U.S. requested for Israel to refrain from any actions in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem that could create tensions ahead of President Biden’s visit next month, four Israeli, the U.S., and Palestinian officials told Axios.
Alot of Palestinians and Americans refared to this request as a ‘Humiliating plea’ criticising the adminstractions’ for asking Israel to avoid violence ahead of visit
Palestinian novelist, and activist Susan Abulhawa, expressed saying, “It’s kind of a wink and a nod to their partner, Israel, to lay low for a little bit”
that clearly shows the American unconditional support to the isreali occupation government but their only concern with the optics.
Barbara Leaf, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for near east affairs, and her deputy for Israeli-Palestinian affairs, Hady Amr, shuttled more than three times between Jerusalem and Ramallah during their visit this week, officials said.
“The U.S. wants the visit to take place in a good atmosphere – different than the one now,” said al-Sheikh, who is in charge of Palestinian contact with the Biden administration and met Leaf three times during her visit. “If the Israelis don’t stop their unilateral action the situation deteriorates and becomes much worse.”
Israeli officials said Leaf raised the Palestinian demands with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, Israeli national security adviser Eyal Hulata and other senior officials for a less samaritan reason, that is to ensure that Biden’s visit goes smoothly, unhandled by the inconveniences of a tense political atmosphere where it’s partner israel continuous to displace Palestinians and demolish their residents in an attempt to change the features of the geopolitical landscape.
According to the officials, Leaf requested that Israel delays activities such as home demolitions, the expulsion of Palestinians, and settlement development decisions until after Biden’s arrival, as well as reduce Israeli military operations in the West Bank.
Only to be responded by Gantz, Lapid, and Hulata saying they will do their best, but explained the domestic political complexities of halting such actions in addition to what they called the operational needs of the Israeli military in order to stop attacks,
The officials added,”The Biden administration doesn’t want us to create any crisis in the West Bank…. They want quiet and calm” for Biden’s visit, a senior Israeli official told me.
Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials said Leaf, Amr and U.S. ambassador to Israel Tom Nides tried to put together a package of tangible deliverables for the Palestinians ahead of Biden’s visit, scheduled for July 13-15.
But they didn’t make significant progress on the that front because there are not enough meaningful things the U.S. can give and Israel isn’t willing to take any steps with political significance that will be enough for the Palestinians, the officials said.
“We need a political horizon. We want to hear President Biden say what his detailed position regarding the two-state solution is,” al-Sheikh said.
The U.S. also asked Israel to allow the symbolic presence of Palestinian Authority officials at the Allenby border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan. Israeli officials say they are considering this positively.
A State Department spokesperson said Leaf discussed “how to lay the groundwork” for Biden’s visit and continue the U.S.’ “long-standing diplomacy with both Israelis and Palestinians to encourage constructive steps to improve the situation on the ground.” in an attempt to establish this type of sherade going. a visit with as little issues as possible because an issue in the US presence is an issue hard for the administration to pretend doesn’t exist
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