After almost two years in office, as a self-proclaimed Zionist, Joe Biden’s commitment to ending the Israel-Palestine conflict and working toward a more peaceful future for the region has come into question. After one week in office, Rishi Sunak’s commitment is also being questioned.
President Joe Biden’s approach
At the start of his presidency, President Joe Biden inherited Trump infused US-Israel relations that had emboldened Israel’s claims to East Jerusalem, undermined the Palestinian position and significantly damaged US credibility as mediator. Highlights of the Trump administration’s policies include the move of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to West Jerusalem; the closure of the US Consulate to the Palestinians in East Jerusalem and the opening of a Palestinian Affairs Unit (PAU) within the US embassy; the closure of The Palestinian Liberation Organisation’s mission in Washington; and a commitment to policies of normalisation between Israel, Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), known as the Abraham Accords. In a provocative shift, in comparison to previous administrations, President Biden stated that the conflict would not be a foreign policy priority for his presidency.
Originally, it seemed that Biden’s limited diplomatic relations with the region would be gentler than President Trump’s as he made promises as a candidate to reopen the US Consulate to the Palestinians in East Jerusalem. There have been calls and meetings between Biden and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as he attempts to renew diplomatic ties with the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority (PA); and the PAU has recently been diplomatically upgraded to the US Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA). Biden has occasionally verbally criticised the approval of new settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite always highlighting the responsibility of both sides, and has resumed some of the US funding to Palestine that Trump ended. Moreover, in late September, friction between Israel and the Biden administration were growing over Israel’s security escalation in the occupied West Bank and the suspected approval of more settlement construction. However, Biden’s administration has yet to reverse the above policies of Trump and continues to use ambiguous language to describe the sovereignty of East Jerusalem. Biden has faced further criticism for being reluctant to publicly clash with Israel, keeping the US Consulate to the Palestinians in East Jerusalem closed, and being resistant to put pressure on the Israeli government. Frustrated by this cautious approach, Palestinians have felt increasingly disillusioned and have begun to lose faith in the Biden administration.
Two weeks ago, Biden released a National Security Strategy (NSS) that remains committed to the Abraham Accords, despite the accords being criticised for causing setbacks in peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine and sidelining Palestinian interests. Additionally, while the NSS mentions the two-state solution as the better option, it has further been criticised for supporting Israeli interests. Biden’s biggest concern in the region is stability and Israeli integration into the wider Middle East and the prospect of a peaceful, two-state solution that dimmed under Donald Trump does not seem much brighter under the Biden administration.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s approach
Despite Liz Truss’ short tenure as Prime Minister, she made her position on the Israel-Palestine conflict clear with the confirmation that her government was considering moving the UK embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Many critics cited this shift as a deviation from long-held British policy by explicitly recognising Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem; making a just and peaceful resolution to the conflict more difficult; and a break of direct international law. Such critics may have sighed in relief when Truss resigned, however the new Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, holds a similar position on the conflict.
Sunak has expressed his unwavering support for the state of Israel and backs moving the UK embassy to Jerusalem. As Chancellor, he supported the Abraham Accords and policies of normalisation. During his first leadership campaign, he told the Conservative Friends of Israel parliamentary group that he recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s historic capital. In the summer, he also wrote a piece for Jewish News where he expressed his concerns about those in Britain who seek to damage Israel; described Israel as a “shining beacon of hope” in an interview with the Jewish Chronicle; opposed the labelling of Israel as an apartheid state and promised to increase spending on security organisations that protect British Jews.
Nevertheless, he has said he still believes a two-state solution is possible. Although he has expressed concerns about the conduct of the Palestinian Authority and criticised a ‘glorification’ of terror attacks against Israel, he has outlined that direct negotiations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority are the only route to lasting peace. While Prime Minister Sunak has made his support for Israel and criticism of the Palestinian Authority clear, could he restore hope for peace in the region?
