US Asks Israel To Pause Mistreatment of Palestinians Until After Biden Visit
Apparently wary of bad "optics" during President Biden's upcoming July visit, the U.S. State Department has asked Israel to take a break from provocative actions in Jerusalem and the West Bank until after his trip.
The request came from Barbara Leaf, U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near East affairs. It was submitted to Israeli officials that included foreign minister Yair Lapid, defense minister Benny Gantz and national security adviser Eyal Hulata. As first reported by Axios:
Leaf asked Israel to halt actions like home demolitions, evictions of Palestinians and decisions on settlement building, as well as decrease Israeli military operations in the West Bank until after Biden's visit, the officials said.
Axios reports that Gantz, Lapid and Hulata said they would "do their best," but that domestic political complexities would make halting such actions problematic.
"Unfortunately, even this humiliating plea may fall on deaf ears," Osama Abuirshaid, executive director of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), tells Middle East Eye. "The Israeli government is fully aware of the magnitude of this administration's weakness and can care less about the US president's embarrassment or loss of political capital despite unfettered U.S. support to Israel."
[The U.S. request] is illustrative of the United States' real policy toward Israel," says Palestinian-American activist and novelist Susan Abulhawa. "They generally don't care what Israel does, Israel can do whatever they want. But Biden's going on a trip there and he has a certain purpose and he wants to fulfill that purpose. It's kind of a wink and a nod to their partner, Israel, to lay low for a little bit."
During Biden's tenure, Israel has demolished over 1,200 Palestinian structures in the West Bank, leaving more than 1,600 Palestinians homeless. Israel targets buildings that have no permits—yet requests for such permits are seldom granted. One study found that, over a two-year period, Israel rejected 97% of permit applications in the largest part of the West Bank.
Israel doesn't always destroy the homes of Palestinians—sometimes, it evicts Palestinian families so Israelis can move in.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-asks-israel-pause-mistreatment-palestinians-until-after-biden-visit