Palestinian Authority rules out meeting with Israel during Biden’s visit
Mona Kandil
Press TV, Ramallah
The Israeli newspaper, Haaretz, reports that the Palestinian Authority has informed Washington of its refusal to hold a meeting with Israeli regime officials during the planned visit of US President Joe Biden to the region as long as the occupation does not recognize the two-state solution.
Palestinian officials confirmed that holding the meeting, which comes under American pressure and some Arab parties, including Saudi Arabia, will not change anything from reality and will give legitimacy to the occupation measures in the West Bank and al-Quds.
Ahead of a planned visit by US president Joe Biden to the region next month, Israeli media revealed that the American administration had raised the possibility of holding a meeting between the Palestinian Authority and Israel but the Palestinians have rejected the idea.
According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, the Palestinians informed the Americans that they would only accept such a meeting if all parties agreed on advancing a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders.
The Palestinians however want the Americans to re-open the US consulate in East Al-Quds, and to remove the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from the US terror list. These demands had been made during a meeting between Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, in Ramallah.
On Tuesday, the White House confirmed Biden’s first trip to the West Asia region next month during which he will visit occupied Palestine, followed by a trip to Saudi Arabia.
Israel’s foreign minister has said that his country was looking to Biden’s trip next month to help improve relations with Saudi Arabia.
US president Joe Biden is planning a visit to Saudi Arabia as part of the Riyadh Summit. Biden says he will be focusing on Israel as a key issue for talks during his Saudi visit. Palestinians, on the other hand, say Biden’s visit to the region would only be symbolic.
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