White House Press Secretary: Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be solved by local leaders

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 7:40 AM PT – Wednesday, May 12, 2021

The White House issued a meager call for peace in an attempt to resolve one of the most contentious conflicts in the Middle East. After days of rising tension, rocket attacks and riots, officials within the Biden administration spoke out Tuesday. Calls for an end to the violence in and around Israel began with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

“The president’s support for Israel’s security, for its legitimate right to defend itself and its people, is fundamental and will never waver,” she stated. “We condemn ongoing rocket attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups, including against Jerusalem.”

However, Psaki’s defense of Israel, one of the country’s strongest allies in the region, did waver when she attempted to twist the narrative and make Israel out to be the villain.

“And U.S. officials in recent weeks have spoken candidly with Israeli officials about how evictions of Palestinian families who have lived for years, sometimes decades in their homes and of demolitions of these homes work against our common interests in achieving a solution to the conflict,” continued the press secretary.

People inspect the rubble of a damaged building which was hit by an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City, Wednesday, May 12, 2021. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Psaki’s blamed victims for their own misfortunes aside. She went on to say that for all intents and purposes, both groups were on their own to resolve a surge of violence that has left dozens wounded.

” It is up to the officials, residents and leaders to restore the city to a place of calm,” she asserted. “The president and his team will continue to pursue the conditions for diplomacy, dialog and de-escalation, and protection of civilians even as we work together with our friends to deter acts of violence and terrorism.”

Her tone was echoed by State Department spokesperson Ned Price. He argued that a recognized and developed nation of Israel and a group of terrorists in Hamas are on equal moral ground with regards to their use of lethal force.

“We are deeply concerned about the escalation between Israel and those launching rockets from Gaza, and we call for restraint and for calm,” he stated. “Israel has the right to defend itself and to respond to rocket attacks. The Palestinian people also have the right to safety and security, just as Israelis do.”

On the State Department’s bilateral relations fact sheet, it read: “Israel is a great partner to the United States and Israel has no greater friend than the United States.” In reality, however, when that same friend is in desperate need of support, the Biden administration doesn’t appear to lend any tangible aid at all.

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