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Sullivan's West Bank Visit Aims to Put Pressure on Netanyahu - Expert

14:45 GMT, 15 December 2023
© AP Photo / Susan Walsh
Christina Malyk
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US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is travelling to the West Bank on Friday to meet with President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas. A day before the visit, Sullivan said that governance of the West Bank and Gaza Strip needs to be connected under a "revamped and revitalized" Palestinian Authority. What are Washington's aims here?
Sputnik

Attempting to Show Support

Sullivan's West Bank tour shows the US is willing "to tune in to no de-escalation or low profile war in the Gaza Strip", Ayman Yousef, professor of political sciences and international relations at the Arab-American university in Palestine, told Sputnik.

"I think Sullivan is going to represent the wing within [the] Biden Democratic administration that wants to put more pressure on [the] Netanyahu government in order to define its schedule of dealing with Gaza. [The] US wants to finish [the] Israeli ground destructive operations, and to tune to de-escalation or low profile war in the Gaza Strip. Because [the] international community is being astonished by the level and the scale of destruction, even in the in West Bank, not only in Gaza. So, US diplomacy is working in order to put more restrictions and constraints on the Netanyahu government, conveying a message to the Palestinian Authority and President Mahmoud Abbas that the US is really concerned about the situation in Gaza. They want to convey a message that US is in favor of supporting [the] two-state solution."

Covering Israeli Problems

According to Palestinian expert, during this visit Washington is also trying to deal with the Gaza crisis because "Israel is losing the ground in Gaza". He explained:

"The whole agenda is grounded. The overall objective is to deal with the current confrontation. Israel is losing the ground in Gaza. Israel is really not in control. On daily basis, they lose approximately 7 to 10 soldiers, many of them are colonels and high-ranked officers. So in my own view, [the] Biden administration is trying to balance now its previous strict pro-Israeli policy by showing more overstatements by [Jake] Sullivan. Even Kamala Harris and William Burns are representing a new political strategy, which indicates the willingness to put more pressure on Israel."

Unresolved Fatah and Hamas Issues

There are numerous unresolved political issues between Fatah, the leading party in the West Bank, and Hamas, which governed the Gaza Strip. These issues continue to hinder the unification of the two Palestinian factions and their pursuit of a common political agenda.
Local sources have reported that Palestinian President Abbas has instructed the resumption of previously halted communications with Hamas. As a result, Ayman Yousef believes that the time is right for reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas.

"I think this is a very good opportunity to reconciliate unsolved tensions between Fatah and Hamas.The current situation in Palestine is really critical. We need a breakthrough between both Fatah and Hamas. There are different statements coming from the leaders of both factions. I think they are more open now. It will be more serious in the question of reconciliation, in the question of including Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Palestine Liberation Organization, in the question of election to the Palestinian Legislative Council and presidential elections."

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However, more dialogue is needed, according to Yousef. "We need a kind of regional umbrella in order to put the pressure and to give more incentives to both Fatah and Hamas to improve relations and reconcile their differences," the professor concluded.
WorldMiddle EastJake SullivanMahmoud AbbasIsraelPalestineWest BankPalestinian AuthorityFatahHamasPalestine-Israel conflict
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