‘Biden Doctrine’: Steps to Unilaterally Recognize Palestinian State Despite Israel Opposition
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The Biden Administration is considering a ‘new doctrine’ to unilaterally recognize a demilitarized Palestinian State despite strong opposition to statehood within Israel.
On Wednesday, both Axios and the New York Times reported a seismic shift in U.S. foreign policy in its approach toward Palestinian statehood ahead of Secretary of State Blinken’s visit next week.
However, State Department Matthew Miller disagreed with the assessment, and stated, “There has been no policy shift in the administration. We have made quite clear publicly that we support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. That has been the policy of the United States for some time. It has been the policy of this administration.”
According to The New York Times, the Biden Administration would recognize a “demilitarized Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that would come into being only once Palestinians had developed a set of defined, credible institutions and security capabilities to ensure that this state was viable and that it could never threaten Israel.”
The New York Times described the emerging “Biden Doctrine” as a strategy that encompasses strengthening the United States’ relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, while maintaining a robust military stance toward Iran and its terrorist proxies across the Middle East.
According to a report by Axios, once the war has concluded with Hamas in Gaza, Secretary of State Blinken is examining options to unilaterally declare a Palestinian State to expedite normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman communicated his readiness to establish normal relations with Israel to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken a few weeks ago. This move would be part of efforts to reconstruct the Gaza Strip following the conflict. However, recognition by Saudi Arabia was contingent on Israel taking steps toward recognizing Palestinian sovereignty.
Upending years of U.S. policy, Axios reported that the Biden Administration believes the unilateral creation of a Palestinian State should be the first step in talk to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict instead of the last one.
This change in U.S. policy upends the current Israeli Prime Minister’s policy which views that enhancing ties with the broader Arab region as crucial for addressing the Palestinian conflict. This approach was highlighted by the 2020 Abraham Accords, under which Israel, facilitated by the Trump administration, initiated diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.
Netanyahu’s coalition, composed of right-wing and religious parties, is staunchly opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state, a sentiment that is also broadly shared among the Israeli public.
“If the administration can pull this together — a huge if — a Biden Doctrine could become the biggest strategic realignment in the region since the 1979 Camp David treaty,” the New York Times concluded.
If you are interested in articles produced by Worthy News, please check out our FREE sydication service available to churches or online Christian ministries. To find out more, visit Worthy Plugins.