Biden Claims Saudi Arabia, Qatar 'Ready To Normalize' With Israel
US President Joe Biden said at a campaign event on Thursday that Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, are ready for a full normalization of ties with Israel. During the event – which was meant to show unity in the Democratic Party ahead of US elections in November this year – Biden was joined on stage by former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
"I’ve been working with the Saudis and with all the other Arab countries, including Egypt and Jordan and Qatar. They’re prepared to fully recognize Israel. There has to be a post-Gaza plan, and there has to be a trade to a two-state solution. It doesn’t have to occur today. It has to be a progression and I think we can do that," Biden said.
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, which has resulted in a reported over 32,000 mostly civilian deaths, Saudi Arabia has repeatedly stated that normalization with Tel Aviv is still on the table.
However, Riyadh has doubled down on its demands for concessions to the Palestinians, including, most prominently, the demand for the eventual realization of statehood.
Washington has been devising a plan for post-war Gaza, which includes the idea of a "reformed" Palestinian Authority (PA) assuming control over administration in the strip. In late February, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled a similar plan, which included demilitarizing Gaza, forming a local governing authority, and a broader normalization pact with Arab states, including the Saudis.
Politico reported on the same day as Biden’s campaign event that the White House, State Department, and Pentagon are discussing the potential establishment of either a "multinational force" or a "Palestinian peacekeeping team" to oversee the affairs of a post-war Gaza.
Yet Israel has yet to achieve its goal of dismantling the Palestinian resistance and is continuing brutal and incessant airstrikes daily. "There are too many innocent victims, Israelis and Palestinians," Biden added at the event.
"We’re in a position where Israel’s very existence is at stake. You had all those people massacred," the president said about 7 October, adding: "It’s understandable Israel has such a profound anger and Hamas is still there, but we must in-act, stop the effort that is resulting in significant deaths of innocent civilians and particularly children."
Anti-war protestors interrupt prominent Biden political fundraiser event
— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) March 29, 2024
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters, including Jewish activisits, disrupted a high-profile fundraiser for US President Joe Biden at Radio City Music Hall in New York on Thursday night.
The fundraiser… pic.twitter.com/hQ6vKw1B0G
Several pro-Palestine activists erupted in chants throughout the campaign event, accusing Biden of complicity in the 'genocide' being carried out against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The president’s approval ratings have suffered significantly in recent months as a result of his handling of the war in Gaza, particularly due to Washington's continued fueling of the Israeli war effort with funds and munitions.
