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Intel: Biden warns against West Bank annexation as Israel lobbies Trump for green light

Former Vice President Joe Biden told campaign donors today that any Israeli annexation of the West Bank would “choke off any hope for peace,” according to a transcript of the presumptive Democratic nominee’s remarks seen by Al-Monitor.

Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the 11th Democratic candidates debate of the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign, held in CNN's Washington studios without an audience because of the global coronavirus pandemic, in Washington, U.S., March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque     TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - HP1EG3G050BEO
Democratic US presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the 11th Democratic candidates' debate of the 2020 US presidential campaign, held in CNN's Washington studios without an audience because of the global coronavirus pandemic, March 15, 2020. — REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Former Vice President Joe Biden told campaign donors today that any Israeli annexation of the West Bank would “choke off any hope for peace,” according to a transcript of the presumptive Democratic nominee’s remarks seen by Al-Monitor.

“We also have to make clear I do not support annexation,” the presumptive Democratic nominee said at a virtual fundraiser with Jewish Democrats. “Israel needs to stop the threats of annexation and stop settlement activity because it will choke off any hope of peace. Today neither [Israel’s] present government or the Palestinians want to take steps thanks to President Trump’s unilateralism.”

He added that the Trump administration has “just been unequivocal on anything that [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] does and has been equivocating on the importance of this two-state solution.”

Tickets for the virtual fundraiser started at $1,000 and hosts had to raise or contribute $28,000.

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