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Palestinians pin hopes on Biden as savior of ‘two-state’ framework

Riyad al-Malki said that the PA is ready to press U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to recognize a Palestinian state with a capital in  the eastern portion of Jerusalem, territory that belongs to Israel.

By World Israel News and AP

Despite decades of entrenched rejectionist policies, the Palestinian Authority (PA) claims it is now ready to reenter peace negotiations with Israel.

On Saturday, PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said his regime wants to return to talks based on a two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ahead of the transition to a new U.S. administration.

Al-Malki’s comments came in a joint statement with Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry and Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.

In a news conference after their meeting, al-Malki said that the PA is ready to press U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to recognize a Palestinian state with a capital in  the eastern portion of Jerusalem, territory that belongs to Israel.

“We are ready for cooperation and dealing with the new U.S. administration, and we are expecting that it would re-draw its ties with the [Palestinians],” he said.

Al-Malki said coordination with Cairo and Amman is a “center point” that would establish a “starting point” in dealing with the incoming Biden administration. Egypt and Jordan are close U.S. allies and have both signed peace treaties with Israel.

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Under President Donald Trump’s administration, the U.S. recognized that Jerusalem is Israel’s capital, moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv, slashed aid to the Palestinians due to their policy of paying salaries to terrorists, and declared that Israeli towns in Judea and Samaria are not “illegal.”

While the Palestinians opposed all of these moves, four Arab countries signed peace deals with Israel during the Trump administration.