JERUSALEM — President Joe Biden on Friday endorsed an independent Palestinian state, although he conceded that such a historic development was “far away” and acknowledged the despair of the Palestinian people long frustrated in their fight for equal rights.
“Even if the ground is not ripe at this moment to restart negotiations, the United States and my administration will not give up on bringing the Palestinians and the Israelis, both sides, closer together,” Biden said during a joint appearance with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem.
“I know that the goal of the two states seems so far away while indignities like restrictions on movement and travel or the daily worry of your children’s safety are real and they are immediate,” Biden added. “The Palestinian people are hurting now. You can just feel it. Your grief and frustration. In the United States, we can feel it.”
