The US administration is looking to “reset relations” with the Palestinians through a plan that includes $ 15 million as assistance in facing the Covid-19 epidemic of Covid-19, and reversing many of the positions of the administration of former President Donald Trump Which favored Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, and backed away from the two-state solution, cut off aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), as well as the Palestinian Authority, and closed the US consulate in Jerusalem and the office of the Palestine Liberation Organization mission in Washington, according to a memorandum obtained It is marked by the "The National" newspaper, which is published in the English language in Abu Dhabi.
The memo, titled "Resetting US-Palestinian Relations and the Way Forward," revealed that the Biden administration plans to announce the aforementioned aid package (worth $ 15 million) for the Palestinians related to the Corona epidemic in late March.
The memo, which was allegedly drafted by the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Palestinian and Israeli Affairs, Hadi Omar, also details plans to roll back the various Trump policies that Washington believes are making the two-state solution more difficult, such as the US legitimization of the settlement project.
In the memo, Omar recommends that the White House support the framework for a two-state solution "based on the 1967 lines with agreed territorial swaps and agreements on security and refugees."
The memo says: "At the same time, we (the United States) suffer from a lack of communication (the Palestinian-American) after the closure of the Palestine Liberation Organization office in Washington in 2018, and the Palestinian Authority leadership refused to deal directly with our embassy in Israel," stressing that the American vision regarding This issue is based on "enhancing freedom, security, and prosperity for both Israelis and Palestinians in the short term, which is important in and of itself, but also as a means to enhance the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution."
Whereas former President Donald Trump´s plan known as the "Deal of the Century" launched at the White House in January of last year practically abandoned the two-state solution and gave Israel the right to annex 30 percent of the occupied West Bank, the Biden administration memo recommends the expression of principles. The American Council on achieving Palestinian-Israeli peace within the framework of the two-state solution "on the basis of the 1967 lines with an agreed exchange of territories and agreements on security and refugees."
The memo also stated that the new American team "will take a two-pronged approach to preserving and optimally improving the relationship of the United States with Israel by deepening its integration in the region while resetting the United States´ relationship with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian leadership," in a clear indication that the Biden administration It will advance the efforts of normalization between Israel and more Arab countries.
The US State Department spokesman Ned Price confirmed to "Al-Quds" last week that the administration is close to announcing that it will take the necessary steps to restore US-Palestinian relations to push forward towards the two-state solution, stressing, "Our goal is a two-state solution in which Israel lives in peace alongside Palestine." Viable ... and we adhere to this two-state solution because it is not only compatible with our values ​​and interests, but in reality it is in line with the values ​​and interests of those in the region, as the two-state solution guarantees the continuity of Israel´s identity as a Jewish and democratic state, just as it fulfills the legitimate and legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians in dignity and determination. Fate is in a state of their own. "
Israeli media reported that "Behind closed doors, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participated in peace negotiations on the basis of the 1967 lines, but publicly, the idea is not very popular in Israel, especially among the ranks of the right, which is expected to expand further in the Knesset after Next week’s elections. "
The memo refers to “rolling back some of the steps taken by the previous administration that raise questions about our commitment or impose real obstacles to the two-state solution, such as placing signs (on goods produced in settlements) indicating that the country of origin is Israel,” referring to the determination to change the policy Announced by Trump´s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo before leaving office, which required all US imports from settlements to be classified as "made in Israel."
On Wednesday, the State Department refused to comment on the memo, as the deputy spokesperson for the State Department, Galina Porter, said at the State Department´s daily press conference, that she did not have any information in this regard.
