(MENAFN- Jordan News Agency) The US vice-president Joe Biden criticized Israel policy in the West Bank and urged the government to stop settlement expansion and to do more against aggressive practices against Palestinians.
Speaking at a noon plenary the Brookings Institution's Saban Forum 2014 being held at the Willard Hotel in Washington, Biden urged Israel and the Palestinians to resume peace negotiations and to take tough decisions to achieve the two-state solution.
Biden also called on Israel to stop the demolition of homes of Palestinian's families, which he described as "collective punishment." The US vice-president expressed America's bedrock support for Israel saying "we have an obligation to match the steel and the spine that the Israeli people show when it comes to the country's security." As for the Iranian nuclear program, Biden said Washington will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons. The interim deal achieved with Iran in November 2013, known as the Joint Plan of Action, had "frozen significant parts" of Iran's nuclear program, Biden explained.
The Saban Forum is an annual dialogue between American and Israeli leaders from across the political and social spectrum. It is organized by the Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.
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