Vice President Biden said Wednesday there is no route to peace in the Middle East without creating a Palestinian state.
“Our administration is fully committed to the Palestinian people and to achieving a Palestinian state that is independent, viable, and contiguous,” Biden said in Ramallah after meeting with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. “Everyone should know by now that there is no viable alternative to a two-state solution, which must be an integral part of any comprehensive peace plan.”
Biden said the rift between Israelis and Palestinians can be bridged only with “direct negotiations,” and he pledged that the United States would “play an active as well as a sustained role” in talks.
Expanding on his statement on Tuesday condemning Israel’s decision to build disputed settlements in East Jerusalem, Biden said that move “undermined” the “trust that we need right now” for productive negotiations.
“As we move forward, the United States will hold both sides accountable for any statements or actions that inflame tensions or prejudice the outcome of talks, as this decision did,” Biden said.
Note: Well, with hugs for the Palestinians and condemnation for the Israeli's, something tells me that Biden's statements have inflamed any productive negotiations between the PA's and Israel. Biden might as well have hung up a huge sign saying "It's a done deal - more land for the PA's, and Israel's citizens should up and move into the nearest sea"! How obvious and one one-sided - and this, before any talks have begun between the two parties involved. How pompous of Biden to state "the US will hold both sides accountable, blah blah blah" .. when the US hasn't been able to handle her own inflamatory prejudices. .... Israel, sure hope you are looking at this big hug between Biden and the PA terrorist, Abbas! One picture is woth a thousand words - get the picture?!! I do have one suggestion and that is tell everyone involved that the Palestinian state is Jordan and that they need to be speaking to Jordan, not Israel, when they speak of a 2-state solution. Bee Sting
