Biden’s Gestures to Palestinians ‘Symbolic’: PLO’s Ashrawi

WEST BANK (Kayhan Intl.) – Former Palestinian spokesperson Hanan Ashrawi says newly elected U.S. President Joe Biden is merely pursuing "symbolic changes” in reversing only some of the policies imposed by his predecessor, Donald Trump.
During an interview with the Ray Hanania Radio show, Ashrawi said that Biden will most likely keep the most contentious changes, such as the U.S. recognizing al-Quds as the Zionist regime’s ‘capital’, and moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to the city, in place.
Ashrawi said she resigned from her role as the official spokesperson for the Palestinian delegation to the Middle East ‘peace’ process, which began with the Madrid Peace Conference of 1991, in order to make room for a younger generation to take over, and has no plans to run for any office in the May 22 Palestinian elections.
Ashrawi said that the policies of the Biden administration are clearly different from what she termed "the destructive polices” of the Trump administration, however, she said she did not expect Biden to undo many of the things that Trump did while in office, though, other than a few issues such as returning badly needed U.S. funding and expanded discussions with the administration on economic needs.
"When they are saying ‘we will undo some of the things’ it means they are keeping the major issues in place, like moving the embassy to al-Quds, which is unacceptable,” Ashrawi said.
"Unfortunately, the Biden administration seems to think they can just do a few symbolic gestures, give us a few handouts ... $15 million for coronavirus relief. Of course, we spend much, much more than that. Actually, the occupation costs us $10 billion a year in terms of what (the Zionist regime) steals from us.”
Ashrawi said that despite the increasing challenges facing Palestinians, the only real goal is to end the occupation.
"Remove the occupation. What we need is to get rid of this illegal, cruel, unacceptable, unconscionable condition where one side has absolute rights over a whole nation — our lands, our resources, our air space, our waters, our borders, our lives,” she said. "Israel devalues, dehumanizes Palestinians and Palestinian lives and gets away with it.
"The moment you address the issue of Israeli impunity and preferential treatment, and address the issue of Palestinian vulnerability and the need for real protection, we are not asking for anything else. That is what is needed: To understand there has to be parity. There has to be equality, and … the law has to prevail. This strategic alliance with Israel is not only unholy but it is extremely destructive.”