During his visit to Bethlehem on Friday, President Joe Biden lamented the killing of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, saying she “was performing very vital work.”
“The United States has suffered a loss as well including the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh,” said Biden. “And she was an American, American citizen and a proud Palestinian and she was performing very vital work and an independent media and vital work of democracy. Her death is enormous loss to the essential work of sharing with the world the story of the Palestinian people.”
Akleh was shot and killed on May 11th while covering clashes between the Israeli Defense Forces and Palestinian gunmen at the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. An investigation overseen by the U.S. Security Coordinator concluded that gunfire from Israeli forces was likely responsible for unintentionally killing her. Akleh’s parents have sought a meeting with Biden.
“I hope that her legacy, her legacy will inspire more young people to carry on her work of reporting the truth and telling stories that are too often overlooked,” said Biden. “The United States will continue to assist on a full and transparent accounting of her death and will continue to stand up for media freedom everywhere in the world.”
Also in his speech, Biden called for a two-state solution that reflected the map prior to the 1967 Six-Day War, in which Israel was victorious and captured territory including East Jerusalem, Gaza and the Golan Heights. Israel
Biden visited Bethlehem as part of a days-long visit that included stopping in Israel. His next stop is Saudi Arabia despite criticism in light of the 2018 murder of Saudi dissident and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The United States has said that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman authorized Khashoggi’s death. Biden’s Mideast trip also comes amid the Iranian threat and Israel seeking to normalize ties with Saudi Arabia and other countries.
Watch above, via CNN.