BIDEN MAY VISIT OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM, REPORTS SAY

Tue 10 May 2022:

An Israeli official told CNN that US President Joe Biden is considering visiting occupied East Jerusalem during his scheduled visit to Israel in June.

Biden is expected to visit Al Makassed Hospital in the city, according to the official, though the plans have yet to be confirmed.

If confirmed, the visit is likely to cause a controversy as it would be seen by Israel as a sign of support to the Palestinians, who want the city as the capital of their future state.

There was no comment from either U.S. or Israeli officials on the report.

In the past, no US president has ever visited occupied East Jerusalem.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community.

According to the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN), Biden’s visit to East Jerusalem will result in the city being “divided,” and the Biden administration will not acknowledge Israel’s sovereignty over the city.

Biden is scheduled to meet with Israeli authorities during his visit, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and President Isaac Herzog. In the West Bank city of Bethlehem, he will meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent