By Neelam Rahim

US President Joe Biden meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the latest leg of his Middle East tour.

Speaking to Radio Islam, Hafez Ebrahim says a significant development occurred during Biden’s visit that started last week. Yet another declaration was signed between the Israeli Premier and the visiting US President Joe Biden, called ‘The Jerusalem Declaration.

He says the Declaration reaffirmed the unshakable bonds between the two countries and the enduring commitment of the United States to Israel’s security. According to the Declaration, the two countries reiterated the strategic US-Israel partnership based on shared values, interests, and true friendship.

In Occupied Palestine, Joe Biden has said that one must be Jewish to be Zionist. Echoing these kinds of sentiments before, Biden says Israel must remain an Independent Democratic Jewish State, as per Hafez Ebrahim.

As the reports go, Biden met with Mahmoud Abbas and then repeated the rhetoric that the United States supports a two-state solution. He said that the Palestinian people deserve a state of their own that is independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous. He also noted that the ground is not ripe for restarting peace talks.

Hafez Ebrahim tells Radio Islam that it appears Biden has gone back to the old approach of buying time for Israel, returning to the well-worn two-state paradigm that nobody believes will ever work.

He says despite the unpopularity of Mahmoud Abbas amongst his people, Biden seeks to prop up the Palestinian authority seeing it as valuable in achieving the objectives of the Israeli State.

According to Hafez Ebrahim, In the Middle of Biden’s visit, there was an announcement from Saudi Arabia that it would be opening the country’s airspace. It said to all air carriers despite that vague language. Many people have said this not about all air carriers but specifically to open up the airspace of Saudi Arabia to Israeli flights.

He says the Israelis and Biden have latched on to that. The benefits are clear for the Israelis as Israel can now follow the shortest route to the Far East. Dramatic reduction in flight hours as well as costs for the Israelis. This has been seen as part of gradual normalisation.

For the full Palestine Report, listen to Radio Islam’s podcast below.