The Biden administration has affirmed its commitment to the two-state solution and the importance of joint action by all parties to move forward to achieve peace and stability in the region.
The commitment was relayed to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan during a meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday, according to the PA’s official news agency WAFA.
The meeting was the third of its kind between Abbas and senior Biden administration officials in the past 10 days.
A PA official described Wednesday’s meeting as “positive and constructive,” but did not provide further details. The official said that the PA was continuing to work towards strengthening its ties with the US administration.
Abbas briefed the US official on “the latest developments in the Palestinian territories and the need to end the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine,” the agency said.
Abbas also stressed the need for Israel to stop settlement activities and “assaults and terrorism of settlers,” according to the agency.
Abbas emphasized the importance of respecting the status quo at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound (Temple Mount) and halting the “expulsion of Palestinian residents from the neighborhoods of Jerusalem, as well as the deduction of tax revenues Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinians,” the PA agency said.
During the meeting, Abbas complained that Israel’s “unilateral practices undermined the two-state solution” and stressed the importance of implementing the agreements signed between the Palestinians and Israel “in order to start a real political process in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions,” the agency added.
It said that Abbas also pointed out the importance of continuing to work towards strengthening bilateral relations with the US and overcoming the obstacles that stand in the way of these relations.
On December 13, Abbas met in Ramallah with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland. On Tuesday, Abbas also met with Acting Assistant Secretary of the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Yael Lempert.