Biden says "ground is not ripe" for peace during remarks in West Bank

During a visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Friday, President Joe Biden offered compassion and financial assistance for hope-starved Palestinians but also delivered a blunt assessment that the "ground is not ripe" for new attempts to reach an elusive peace.

Political uncertainty in Israel, which will be holding another round of elections in November, and the weakness of Palestinian Authority leadership has dimmed any chance of restarting negotiations that broke down more than a decade ago.

The stalemate has left millions of Palestinians living under Israeli military rule. Mr. Biden said they "deserve a state of their own that's independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous. Two states for two peoples, both of whom have deep and ancient roots in this land, living side by side in peace and security."