Biden: Israeli threats of annexation choke off hope of peace
Biden vowed that if elected, he would support the Taylor Force Act while restoring funding to security cooperation with Israel.
By OMRI NAHMIASDemocratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the 2019 Second Step Presidential Justice Forum at Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. October 26, 2019(photo credit: REUTERS/SAM WOLFE)
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Tuesday said he opposes Israeli plans to annex settlements in the West Bank.During a conversation with Jewish donors, the former vice president said both the Israelis and the Palestinians should take steps that promote the two-state solution and avoid unilateral measures. “I think we also have to make it clear that I do not support annexation,” he said in a conference call.“The Palestinians need to end incitement in the West Bank and rocket attacks in Gaza,” Biden said. “What they are teaching in their schools is still in the school books. No matter what legitimate disagreement they may have with Israel, it’s never a justification for terrorism, and no leader should fail to condemn as terrorists those who commit these brutalities.“The Palestinians needs to accept once and for all reality and Israel’s right to have a secure democratic Jewish state in the Middle East. And Israel needs to stop the threats of annexation, stop settlement activity because it will choke off any hope of peace.”The Jerusalem Post obtained audio of the conversation.He voiced a similar message during a videoconferencing speech at AIPAC policy conference in March.In his conference call with donors, Biden vowed that if elected, he would support the Taylor Force Act while restoring funding to security cooperation with Israel.“I’m going to reverse Trump’s administration steps [that] I think significantly undercut the prospects of peace and restore diplomatic relationships with the Palestinian Authority and assistance to support the Israeli Palestinian security cooperation and economic, humanitarian aid for Palestinian people,” Biden said.“I’m going to fully support the Taylor Force Act, which holds aid to the PA based on payments they make to terrorists in Israeli jails... And I was actually in Israel just a few miles away, meeting with Shimon Peres when Taylor Force was tragically murdered,” he said.Biden came under fire last week for suggesting he would restore funding for the Palestinian Authority. Restoring funds may violate the law, the Zionist Organization of America said.ZOA president Morton Klein and chairman Mark Levenson said in a statement: “Money is fungible. Biden’s stated intention to resume sending US tax dollars to the PA will enable the PA to finance terrorism, and the murder and maiming of more innocent Jews and Americans.”Biden said he would not place any conditions on military assistance to Israel.“My commitment to Israel is unshakable,” he said during the conference call. “As president, I’m going to continue our security assistance under the historic memorandum of understanding that we signed together in 2016 and maintain Israel’s qualitative military edge. I’m not going to place conditions for the security assistance given the serious threats that Israel is facing, and this would be, I think, irresponsible.”
