Palestinian Territories: Forward Joe Bidenas the first visit to Jerusalem us PresidentWashington’s ambassador said his team would give a “pound table” to pressure Israeli officials to make concessions to the Palestinians.
But Ambassador Thomas Nides was talking about ensuring access to the Palestinians financial Benefits such as 4G internet, not throwing away US diplomatic might to revive a peace process since 2014.
BidenHis first Middle East tour since entering the White House last year begins in Israel on Wednesday, and he is expected to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday in Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
US-Palestinian relations have improved under Biden, who was a staunch supporter of Israel, after reaching an all-time low under the leadership of his predecessor, Donald Trump.
With the prospect of faster internet, the visit could also see the US restoring funding to hospitals in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem that have historically served Palestinians.
But some Palestinians have said they are tired of US diplomacy, which, they claim, places economic gains above the core issues of the seven-decade conflict.
“It would be nice to have 4G,” said Mohamed Mustafa, former deputy prime minister of the Palestinian Authority and former chief executive of Paltel, the largest telecommunications operator in the Palestinian territories.
“But it is clearly not a substitute for solving big issues like Jerusalem, like sovereignty or independence,” he told AFP.
“Israel thinks people will forget the bigger picture,” he said.
Hamas expects ‘nothing’ – the 4G pledge, which Ambassador Naides highlighted in an interview with the Times of Israel, will give an immediate boost to Palestinian businesses, Mustafa said.
Palestinians are currently either forced to buy Israeli SIM cards or are struggling with slow 3G connections.
“Israeli operators hold a significant share of the Palestinian telecommunications and broadband market,” Mustafa said. “This will be an opportunity to bring back the Palestinian companies.”
But “Israelis think ‘we’re going to give you 4G so you keep quiet on other things,'” Mustafa said. “We’re interested, but we also want bigger things.”
As of July 1, Israel was led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a right-winger who opposed the Palestinians’ excessive demand – the establishment of their own state.
Bennett took an approach known as “mitigating conflict”, seeking to reduce tensions by improving economic opportunities in the West Bank and the blocked Gaza Strip, which are controlled by the Islamist group Hamas.
One such key policy was to increase permits for Palestinians, including Gaza, to seek relatively lucrative work in Israel.
Asked about expectations from Biden’s visit, Hamas official Bassem Nayeem said: “Nothing.”
Yair Lapid, replacing Bennett as Israeli prime minister and centrist, supports a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict.
But he is only serving as caretaker leader ahead of elections due in November, and is therefore seen as little room to launch bold peace initiatives.
When Lapid visited Paris last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said there was “no option” to restart political dialogue between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Senior Israeli officials told AFP that Lapid was “open” to meeting Abbas, but not at this time to launch a new peace initiative.
‘Throwing money on occupation’ – In an opinion piece for the Washington Post over the weekend, Biden insisted that after Trump slashed funding, his administration has reinstated nearly $500 million in support for Palestinians.
But while Israeli officials have promised to raise a sea of flags to welcome Biden in Jerusalem, there are few signs of formal anticipation across the West Bank.
For Sam Bahour, a prominent Palestinian-American businessman in the West Bank, the nostalgia about Biden’s visit goes beyond the latest ups and downs in the Israeli regime.
“The Biden administration has fallen into the Israeli trap – that trap is denying all Palestinian rights under international law, and then using them as cards as if they were making concessions to the Palestinians,” he said. .
Supporting Israel’s initiative in the West Bank is simply “throwing money on the occupation”.
Bahor said Palestinians can manage with slow internet, but not without the state.
He said, ‘We don’t need 4G. “We don’t need a fourth generation of Palestinians to be under military occupation.”
But Ambassador Thomas Nides was talking about ensuring access to the Palestinians financial Benefits such as 4G internet, not throwing away US diplomatic might to revive a peace process since 2014.
BidenHis first Middle East tour since entering the White House last year begins in Israel on Wednesday, and he is expected to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday in Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
US-Palestinian relations have improved under Biden, who was a staunch supporter of Israel, after reaching an all-time low under the leadership of his predecessor, Donald Trump.
With the prospect of faster internet, the visit could also see the US restoring funding to hospitals in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem that have historically served Palestinians.
But some Palestinians have said they are tired of US diplomacy, which, they claim, places economic gains above the core issues of the seven-decade conflict.
“It would be nice to have 4G,” said Mohamed Mustafa, former deputy prime minister of the Palestinian Authority and former chief executive of Paltel, the largest telecommunications operator in the Palestinian territories.
“But it is clearly not a substitute for solving big issues like Jerusalem, like sovereignty or independence,” he told AFP.
“Israel thinks people will forget the bigger picture,” he said.
Hamas expects ‘nothing’ – the 4G pledge, which Ambassador Naides highlighted in an interview with the Times of Israel, will give an immediate boost to Palestinian businesses, Mustafa said.
Palestinians are currently either forced to buy Israeli SIM cards or are struggling with slow 3G connections.
“Israeli operators hold a significant share of the Palestinian telecommunications and broadband market,” Mustafa said. “This will be an opportunity to bring back the Palestinian companies.”
But “Israelis think ‘we’re going to give you 4G so you keep quiet on other things,'” Mustafa said. “We’re interested, but we also want bigger things.”
As of July 1, Israel was led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a right-winger who opposed the Palestinians’ excessive demand – the establishment of their own state.
Bennett took an approach known as “mitigating conflict”, seeking to reduce tensions by improving economic opportunities in the West Bank and the blocked Gaza Strip, which are controlled by the Islamist group Hamas.
One such key policy was to increase permits for Palestinians, including Gaza, to seek relatively lucrative work in Israel.
Asked about expectations from Biden’s visit, Hamas official Bassem Nayeem said: “Nothing.”
Yair Lapid, replacing Bennett as Israeli prime minister and centrist, supports a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict.
But he is only serving as caretaker leader ahead of elections due in November, and is therefore seen as little room to launch bold peace initiatives.
When Lapid visited Paris last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said there was “no option” to restart political dialogue between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Senior Israeli officials told AFP that Lapid was “open” to meeting Abbas, but not at this time to launch a new peace initiative.
‘Throwing money on occupation’ – In an opinion piece for the Washington Post over the weekend, Biden insisted that after Trump slashed funding, his administration has reinstated nearly $500 million in support for Palestinians.
But while Israeli officials have promised to raise a sea of flags to welcome Biden in Jerusalem, there are few signs of formal anticipation across the West Bank.
For Sam Bahour, a prominent Palestinian-American businessman in the West Bank, the nostalgia about Biden’s visit goes beyond the latest ups and downs in the Israeli regime.
“The Biden administration has fallen into the Israeli trap – that trap is denying all Palestinian rights under international law, and then using them as cards as if they were making concessions to the Palestinians,” he said. .
Supporting Israel’s initiative in the West Bank is simply “throwing money on the occupation”.
Bahor said Palestinians can manage with slow internet, but not without the state.
He said, ‘We don’t need 4G. “We don’t need a fourth generation of Palestinians to be under military occupation.”