Iran, not Israeli-Palestinian conflict, likely Biden's priority - Shapiro

The Biden campaign however has already spoken of initial steps such as restoring direct diplomacy between the US and the PA.

By TOVAH LAZAROFF
US AMBASSADOR Dan Shapiro addresses the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference in the capital (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
US AMBASSADOR Dan Shapiro addresses the Jerusalem Post Diplomatic Conference in the capital
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Iran is the only issue in the Middle East that is likely to make it onto US President-elect Joe Biden’s priority list, former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro said Tuesday at the Arava Institute’s annual conference.
“Only Iran pushes up into the top tier because of Iran’s increasing closeness, unfortunately, to a nuclear capability since the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action [Iran deal] has seemed to fall apart,” Shapiro said.
“The Middle East generally, and probably the Israeli-Palestinian issue, more specifically, are not going to be the top priorities for this Biden administration,” he added.
Shapiro stated that he has no official role in the Biden administration and his comments were only those of an analyst. He now serves as a visiting fellow at Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies.
In contrast to US President Donald Trump’s approach, Biden holds that a two-state solution that falls along past US parameters of the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations remains “the only realistic outcome that can be a resolution to the conflict,” Shapiro said.
“Declaring a two-state solution is clearly the goal of US policy,” he added.
It would ensure Israel retains its Jewish and democratic character and meets the Palestinians’ legitimate rights for independence in a state of their own, Shapiro explained.
“It may be that with the same leaders in place who have had previous failed negotiations and a lot of disbelief about its possibility, that this is not the moment to push immediately for a new round of negotiators,” Shapiro said.
The Biden campaign has, however, already spoken of initial steps such as restoring direct diplomacy between the US and the PA, Shapiro explained. This would include a consulate in Jerusalem, a PLO office in Washington, restoration of financial assistance to the Palestinians and support for continued Israel-Palestinian security cooperation, he added.
Biden is also likely to support joint Israeli-Palestinians initiatives that could pave the path to negotiations, such as environmental projects, he said.
Climate change will run through all Biden administration policies, including foreign policy, Shapiro said.
Biden supports the normalization deals with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain brokered by the Trump Administration, Shapiro said.
During the campaign, Biden said that Israeli-Arab normalization was “always a strategic objective of previous administrations, including the one in which he served. It was something he expected to push forward and to challenge other nations to keep pace,” Shapiro explained.
Biden has said these agreements “could be a source of renewed momentum on the Israeli-Palestinian track, Shapiro said.
“Those Arab states can have a different kind of dialogue with the Israeli government and the Israeli public about the steps Israel should be taking that help keep a two-state solution alive and viable,” Shapiro explained.
The Arab states can also encourage Palestinians to adopt “realistic positions” that would allow a return to negotiations with Israel.
Shaddad Attili, a former Palestinian Authority water minister and an adviser to the PLO Negotiating Department, said it was important to place the Israeli-Palestinian issue on the priority agenda.
Israel has to end its “occupation” and Palestinians must receive self-determination so that they can jointly address larger problems such as climate change, Attili said.
“I have no problem with Israel normalizing,” he said, adding that he was ready to re-strategize as well as to strengthen Palestinian democracy.
“We have to keep our voice loud, Israelis and Palestinians” on behalf of peace, Attili said.