On Friday, President Joe Biden restated his support for a two-state solution in the Middle East.

President Biden on two-state solution talks: "Even if the ground is not ripe at this moment to restart negotiations, the United States and my administration will not give up on trying to bring the Palestinians and Israelis and both sides closer together." https://t.co/4swpI3sxAq pic.twitter.com/r0yHg7Nysb

— The Hill (@thehill) July 15, 2022

Biden noted that it is not time to restart negotiations; however, the talks should gain momentum from Israeli progress in integrating into the region. In a meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, Biden said:

“Even if the ground is not ripe at this moment to restart negotiations, the United States and my administration will not give up on trying to bring the Palestinians and Israelis and both sides closer together.”

Biden added that Israel is improving its relations with neighbors across the region.

“I do believe in this moment, when Israel is improving relations with its neighbors throughout the region, we can harness that same momentum to reinvigorate the peace process between the Palestinian people and the Israelis.”

Biden mentioned that he was one of the first supporters of a two-state solution. He said that is the best way to achieve an “equal measure of security, prosperity, freedom, and democracy for the Palestinians as well as Israelis.”

“The Palestinian people deserve a state of their own that’s independent, sovereign, viable, and contiguous … Two states for two people, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land. Living side by side in peace and security. Both states fully respect in equal rights of the others’ citizens, both peoples enjoying equal measure of freedom and dignity. That’s what this is fundamentally all about.”

During his comments, Biden mentioned the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

“I know the goal of a two state seems so far away … [While] restrictions on movement and travel or the daily worry of your children’s safety are real and they are immediate. The Palestinian people are hurting now. You can just feel it. Your grief and frustration — in the United States we can feel it. But we never give up on the word peace.”

The White House has not said whether Biden will mention the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi during his trip to Saudi Arabia.

As RedState’s Bog Hoge reported earlier this week, regarding meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Bin Salman, Biden said:

“I’m not going to meet with MBS. I’m going to an international meeting, and he’s going to be part of it.”

It remains unclear whether Biden and MBS will have a one-on-one sit down or conversation, but the initial goal of Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia was to ask the Saudis for more oil production in order to lower gas prices, which doesn’t seem to have born fruit.

As for the two-state solution, several United States Presidents have attempted to unite the Palestinians and Israelis in order for Palestine to become an independent state, but to no avail. Will Biden’s effort change the minds of either nation? That remains to be seen. It’s important to note that Israel is one of America’s strongest allies, so Biden is attempting to walk a fine line in order to get this deal done.