RAMALLAH, Friday, January 29, 2021 (WAFA) – Member of Fatah Central Committee Hussein Al-Sheikh today welcomed the announcement of the new US administration on restoring ties with Palestine.
Al-Sheikh, who serves as the Minister of Civil Affairs, welcomed the content of the statement of the new US ambassador to the United Nations, Richard Mills, before the UN Security Council (UNSC) on outlining the contours of US approach towards the Palestinian people.
“We appreciate the US representative’s speech at the Security Council, which included the vision of the two-state solution, condemning and rejecting unilateral measures like settlements, annexation, demolition of homes, opening the organization’s bureau in Washington, and the return of financial support,” Al-Sheikh tweeted.
“We consider this a positive step that can be built upon, and restoring the relations to normal,” he added.
In his speech before UNSC, Mills stated that “Under the new administration, the policy of the United States will be to support a mutually agreed two-state solution, one in which Israel lives in peace and security alongside a viable Palestinian state.”
Mills said the Biden Administration intends to urge the Israeli government to avoid unilateral steps “that make a two-state solution more difficult”, such as annexation of territory, colonial settlement activity, and demolitions.
“We hope it will be possible to start working to slowly build confidence on both sides to create an environment in which we might once again be able to help advance a solution.”
In order to advance these objectives, the Biden Administration will restore credible U.S. engagement with Palestinians as well as Israelis. This will involve renewing U.S. relations with the Palestinian leadership and Palestinian people, relations which have atrophied over the last four years. President Biden has been clear in his intent to restore U.S. assistance programs that support economic development and humanitarian aid for the Palestinian people and to take steps to re-open diplomatic missions that were closed by the last U.S. administration. We do not view these steps as a favor to the Palestinian leadership,” he added.
K.F.
