Blinken urges Israelis, Palestinians to calm tensions

84
2
Blinken urges Israelis, Palestinians to calm tensions

Pro-Palestine activists gather at Grand Central Terminal in New York on January 21, 2022, in this photo taken from a Jan. 21, 2022 photo. PHOTO AFP JERUSALEM — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Israel on Monday, urging Israelis and Palestinians to calm tensions and reaffirm Washington's ironclad commitment to Israel's security.

After visiting Egypt as part of his three-leg Middle East tour, Blinken arrived in Israel. This was his first meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since Netanyahu returned to office in December 2022 as the leader of a new extreme right-wing and ultra-religious government.

Blinken condemned the recent deadly attacks between Israelis and Palestinians at the airport upon his arrival.

He said Israeli calls for vengeance against more innocent victims are not the answer, as acts of retaliatory violence against civilians are never justified. In later joint statements with Netanyahu after their meeting, Blinken urged all sides to take urgent steps to restore calm and to de-escalate. He said that we want to make sure that there is an environment in which we can restore a sense of security for Israelis and Palestinians alike, and that that is sorely lacking.

His visit coincided with a flare of violence between Israelis and Palestinians. According to Palestinian official figures, at least 35 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of 2023.

Netanyahu did not mention the regional tensions in his statement. Instead, he talked about Iranian aggression and his wish to expand the so-called Abraham Accords signed in 2020 in which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco agreed to normalize ties with Israel.

Netanyahu said that by expanding the circle of peace and working to close the issue of the Arab-Israeli conflict, we would be able to reach a workable solution with our Palestinian neighbors.

For his part, Blinken said that while the United States supports more normalization deals and the integration of Israel in the Middle East, these efforts are not a substitute for progress between Israelis and Palestinians. He reiterated the US commitment to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

As we advance Israel's integration, we can do so in ways that improve the daily lives of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, he said, adding that Washington believes that establishing an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel is the best way to move forward.

Blinken also had discussions with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

The US top diplomat is scheduled to visit the Palestinian territories on Tuesday, where he will meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.