Bethlehem (West Bank): President Joe Biden says he remains supportive of an independent Palestinian state but says the “ground is not ripe” for restarting peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Biden delivered the assessment at a news conference with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, in the occupied West Bank.
The comments were likely to disappoint the Palestinians, who are looking to the U.S. to press Israel into restarting peace talks. The last substantive talks collapsed over a decade ago. Biden said the world “cannot wait” for a peace agreement and said that steps need to be taken to improve the lives of Palestinian people. Abbas said “the key to peace” in the region “begins with ending the Israeli occupation of our land.” (AP)
