US President Joe Biden is considering a visit to occupied East Jerusalem during his upcoming visit to Israel in June, an Israeli official told CNN.
The official said Biden would possibly visit Al-Makassed Hospital in the city, although the plans are not yet to be finalized. There was no comment from either US or Israeli officials on the report.
#SCOOP: US President Joe Biden is considering a visit to Al Makassed Hospital, the largest Palestinian medical center in east Jerusalem, an Israeli source said on Monday. @POTUS | #Jerusalem https://t.co/Qm0pE4enDb
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) May 9, 2022
No US president has ever visited occupied East Jerusalem in the past.
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.
US President Joe Biden is considering a visit to occupied East Jerusalem during his upcoming visit to Israel in June, an Israeli official told CNN https://t.co/evzzXLk97Y pic.twitter.com/x8CiLbeZzh
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) May 10, 2022
The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) said Biden’s visit to East Jerusalem will mean that the city is “divided” and that Israel’s sovereignty over the city is not recognized by the Biden administration.
During his visit, Biden is expected to meet with Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and President Isaac Herzog. He will also meet with Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
