What would Joe Biden’s presidency mean for Palestine?
Analysis by Jad Arabi, Staff Writer
May 12th, 2020
Even though COVID-19 is currently the primary talking point of international discourse people must not forget the significance of the upcoming US elections and the influence its outcome will have on global politics. American foreign policy has made the country an aggressive actor in the realm of international politics, often unjustly dictating the course of events in situations that might not relate to it, directly or indirectly. With that in mind, it is important to look at the advisors that presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has chosen to surround himself with and the foreign policy agenda that him and his team will ultimately create. One area of interest in Biden’s campaign are his policies regarding Palestine, which need to be properly underlined.
Right off the bat, one major initiative includes the presumptive nominee’s intention to reopen the Palestinian delegation in Washington which President Donald Trump closed in 2018. By doing so, the two countries will revive diplomatic talks and relationships. Moreover, it will allow Biden to stop israel from annexing the West Bank, another promise he has vowed to pursue. Such an action does not seem to be only the Trump decision that Biden intends on reversing as it seems like he intends on refunding the UN Agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), which used to receive around $350 million annually from the United States. This was underlined by him saying that he aims to “resume the decades-long economic and security assistance efforts to Palestine that the Trump Administration stopped.”
When it comes to the location of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, the Democratic nominee has promised not to change it, but has also voiced his intentions on opening a US consulate in East Jerusalem. These decisions, while important, could only be a way for Biden to ensure the support of a certain voter demographic. This could include J-Street the lobbying group who sent a letter by 32 foreign policy experts, calling for the recognition of Palestinian rights in the 2020 Democratic platform. While Biden may intend on cooperating with said group, his pro-Israeli sentiment of the past should remain a topic of concern.
“I’m a Zionist. You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist” exclaimed the former vice president in a 2008 interview. Biden has always been a strong advocate for Israel throughout his political career, where even though he may not be in favor of israel annexing the West Bank he continues to make statements like; “Israelis wake up every morning facing an existential threat from their neighbors in the region, and they live each day with tremendous courage, but also anxiety.”
Furthermore, Biden has also claimed that he would not impose any conditions on US aid to israel contrary to what was suggested by Senator Bernie Sanders. The presumptive nominee’s inability to voice a legitimate stance in regards to the israeli-Palestinian situation is alarming. Even though the United States and israel foster strong diplomatic connections, a blatant violation of human rights must not go uncriticized. How does Biden intend on stopping israel from annexing the West Bank? Why would he call Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy “short sighted and frivolous” but then keep it as such? Even his top foreign policy advisor, Anthony Blinken claimed to be “ardent supporters of Israel” while arguing in favor of the two-state solution.
There definitely is a conflict of interest in the way the United States go about with their international politics and that harms several countries involved. The foreign policy agenda that Joe Biden has endorsed so far is littered with gaps that need to be recognized should he ever be elected. The legitimacy of a country’s statehood must never be jeopardized especially not by third-party actors, but since the United States has had a history of adopting strongly interventionist policies one can only hope that the ramifications are not as severe. It is indeed funny how a country that prides retains the crux of hoping for a free world has continued to tip the equilibrium of the global order.