Washington, DC -- Americans for Peace Now (APN) warmly welcomes the Biden administration's statement yesterday, asserting its intention to restore diplomatic relations with the Palestinians, as well as aid for the Palestinians.

APN commends the Biden administration for asserting, less than a week after President Biden's inauguration, its commitment to the creation of a viable Palestinian state living in peace with Israel, and its rejection of "unilateral steps that make a two-state solution more difficult, such as annexation of territory, settlement activity, demolitions, incitement to violence and support of terrorism."

The statement came yesterday in the form of a UN Security Council speech by Ambassador Richard Mills, the Acting Representative of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.

In his speech, Amb. Mills clearly stated that "Arab-Israeli normalization is not a substitute for Israeli-Palestinian peace," and expressed hope "that normalization can proceed in a way that unlocks new possibilities to advance a two-state solution." He added that the Biden administration hopes "to start working to slowly build confidence on both sides to create an environment in which we might once again be able to help advance a solution."

APN's President and CEO Hadar Susskind said: "After four years of a destructive and irresponsible policy by the Trump administration, it is encouraging to hear a very different tune from the incoming administration, days after President Biden took office. We welcome this shift and commend the President and his team for publicly asserting it. We applaud President Biden for pivoting away from Trump's disastrous policy, and we encourage him to adopt a proactive policy which discourages actions that undermine the prospects for peace. We further encourage his administration to lead a revival of an international diplomatic effort, including regional leaders, to resolve the conflict."