'Nobody has any hope': Ahead of Biden's Middle East trip, some Palestinians say he's no different than Trump
Even as Biden prepares to meet with Palestinian leaders, many Palestinians remain skeptical the change in U.S. leadership will have any tangible impact on their lives.
- Donald Trump cut U.S. aid to Palestinian refugees and drove U.S.-Palestinian relations to a nadir.
- To many Palestinians, there’s little difference between Trump and Biden.
- Biden has restored some U.S. aid to the Palestinians, including funding for a cancer hospital.
East Jerusalem — As the afternoon sun blazes over the ancient Mount Scopus in East Jerusalem, Palestinian cancer patients huddle in what shade they can find at Augusta Victoria Hospital. Some are wheelchair bound, while others are resting with their families on benches in between treatments.
The hospital – funded in part by U.S. aid – is the only Palestinian facility that offers comprehensive treatment for cancer patients, such as radiation therapy. The Biden administration restored funding to the hospital after his predecessor, Donald Trump, cut all U.S. aid to Palestinian refugees – a step that drove U.S.-Palestinian relations to a nadir.
But even as Biden prepares to meet with Palestinian leaders, many Palestinians remain skeptical the change in U.S. leadership will have any tangible impact on their lives. Palestinians say Biden will not pressure Israel to give them equal rights, their own state, or greater freedoms.
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