President Joe Biden says the United States is “prepared to take our own steps” to combat alleged attacks by Israelis on civilians in the West Bank.
Biden, in an opinion piece for the Washington Post, outlined his framework for what must be done in the wars in Ukraine and Israel. While discussing the solution for the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, he urged a two-state solution with the Palestinian Authority controlling both Gaza and the West Bank.
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“As we strive for peace, Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority, as we all work toward a two-state solution,” Biden wrote.
The president also called out Israeli settlers who have reportedly attacked Palestinians in the West Bank since the war in Gaza began, threatening visa bans against the “extremists attacking civilians.”
“I have been emphatic with Israel’s leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable. The United States is prepared to take our own steps, including issuing visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank,” Biden wrote.
Biden also pushed back on calls for a ceasefire, arguing it would only harm innocent civilians in the long run.
“As long as Hamas clings to its ideology of destruction, a cease-fire is not peace. To Hamas’s members, every cease-fire is time they exploit to rebuild their stockpile of rockets, reposition fighters and restart the killing by attacking innocents again. An outcome that leaves Hamas in control of Gaza would once more perpetuate its hate and deny Palestinian civilians the chance to build something better for themselves,” Biden wrote.
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The president is facing increased pressure to call for a ceasefire from the left-wing flank of his party, as more members of Congress, including Jewish Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT), call for one.
In the opinion piece, Biden reaffirmed his support for Israel’s right to defend itself and also said that “the Palestinian people deserve a state of their own and a future free from Hamas.”
