US Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides on Wednesday reiterated the Biden Administration’s position that a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is necessary for regional stability.

President Joe Biden “articulated very clearly his support for a two-state solution,” Nides told a press briefing in Jerusalem. “Every speech that I give, Secretary [of State Anthony] Blinken gives, that the president gives, that [Vice President] Kamala Harris gives, all reference that.”

What made these words raise eyebrows was that Nides said them even as local and foreign media was reporting on the looming collapse of the Palestinian Authority and its inability to control the territory it already administers.

House of cards

As aging and ailing Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas nears the end of his rule, the territories he is supposed to control are descending into armed chaos.

This has resulted in an increase in both internal fighting, mostly between groups aligned with the different candidates to succeed Abbas, and attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians.

“Part of the increase in attacks is due to the inability of Palestinian security forces to properly govern in certain areas of the Judea and Samaria region. As a result these areas become fertile ground for the growth of terrorism,” IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi told a General Staff learning conference on Monday.

And things are only expected to get worse.

A senior IDF expert told JNS that he expected a limited civil war among the Palestinians when Abbas either steps down or dies, accompanied by a fresh wave of anti-Israel terrorism.

The Oslo Accords had obligated the Palestinian Authority to put an end to independent armed groups that threaten Israeli security, and the Palestinian Authority was itself heavily armed to meet this goal. But it systematically failed to do so.

This coupled with the present brewing storm has to make one wonder about the wisdom of a two-state solution that results in the establishment of a Palestinian state ruled by people who either can’t or won’t fulfill their peace commitments.

Israel’s fault?

According to the US ambassador, this situation has everything to do with the growing frustration and desperation of the Palestinian population, and an apparent lack of sufficient concessions and gestures to calm what he called the “Palestinian street.”

“In order to push for a two-state solution, we need to be doing things to help the Palestinian people,” he told reporters.

Reading between the lines, one could conclude that Nides was indirectly blaming Israel and its policies for the current situation, while all but ignoring two decades of Palestinian Authority corruption, despotism and indoctrination to violence.

Nides acknowledged that many Israelis believe Biden “doesn’t have Israel’s back,” but insisted that “US support for Israel is an unbreakable tie.”

Not everyone agrees.

See: Will a New Iran Deal Redefine the US-Israel Relationship?

Blatant media bias

Meanwhile, the mainstream American media continues to do its bit to convince the public that it’s all Israel’s fault.

A recent egregious example comes from CNN (surprise, surprise).

In a report on the clashes that resulted in the tragic death of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, CNN described the scene thus:

“The IDF said ‘a violent riot was instigated’ during the operation and that ‘the rioters burned tires, hurled rocks, Molotov cocktails and explosive devices at the forces, who responded with riot dispersal means.’ The 16 wounded Palestinians were injured by bullets and shrapnel, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, and all were transferred to the hospital in Jenin.”

But CNN very selectively quoted the IDF, in particular leaving out the part where the Israeli army said “massive gunfire” was directed at its soldiers by armed Palestinian groups.

The omission is significant.

CNN’s version leaves the (no doubt purposeful) impression that Israeli troops responded to rioting Palestinians armed with naught but stones with deadly live gunfire.

The truth, of course, is that Israeli troops were engaged in a deadly gun battle by equally-heavily-armed Palestinian gunmen. The IDF’s use of deadly live gunfire is seen in a very different light when all the facts are presented.

Hat tip to CAMERA for pointing out this and numerous other instances of journalistic malpractice.

For further examples and reading on this topic, see: Why You Can’t Believe What the UN or Mainstream Media Say About Israel