US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged Israelis and Palestinians to take immediate steps to calm the explosive situation in the region.
After a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Blinken said that the US continued to aim for Palestinians and Israelis to “enjoy equal freedom, security, opportunities, justice and dignity” in the future. The two-state solution continues to be the best way in this direction.
Blinken also said they wanted to expand the “circle of peace” in the region. Netanyahu said he was hoping for “dramatic breakthroughs” in efforts to get closer to other Arab states. Blinken wants to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Tuesday. He had started his Middle East journey in Egypt.
Israel is adopting a hard-line policy after the worst attack by a Palestinian in 15 years. The United States had clearly condemned the attack by a Palestinian on visitors to a synagogue in East Jerusalem on Friday evening, which killed seven people. The attack came a day after an Israeli raid in Jenin that killed 10 Palestinians – most of them militants.
Netanyahu announced new steps against assassins and their families on Sunday. He also spoke of strengthening the Israeli settlement project. Blinken had recently criticized the Israeli settlement policy in the occupied West Bank in clear terms.
Conflict escalated dangerously again
The US wants to persuade the Palestinian leadership to continue security cooperation with Israel. Abbas resigned after the deadly raid in Jenin.
Israel’s government — the farthest right the country has ever had — has been in office for just a month. Since then, the conflict with the Palestinians has once again dangerously escalated. However, the wave of violence had already begun with a series of attacks during the tenure of the more liberal previous government. Since then, the army has carried out frequent raids in the West Bank. Since the beginning of the year, 34 Palestinians have been killed in confrontations with the army or in their own attacks. Last year there were 172 – as many as last in 2006.
“Oppose Iran’s destabilizing activities”
After their meeting, Netanyahu and Blinken reiterated that Iran would not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. “We discussed ways to deepen cooperation to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region and beyond,” Blinken said. “Just as Iran has long supported terrorists who target Israelis and others, the regime is now supplying drones that Russia uses to kill innocent Ukrainian civilians.” In return, Moscow supplies Iran with state-of-the-art weapons.
Just a few days ago, the United States completed a large-scale military exercise with Israel. According to media reports, it was the largest military exercise that Israel and the United States have ever held together.
Former Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Jadlin said: “I have never seen such a huge training by Israel and the US, with the planes and platforms that would be deployed if we chose the military option.” He has no doubt that the military option has come to the fore. “If you don’t have a credible military option, diplomacy will never succeed.” However, a military strike against the Iranian nuclear facilities is the last resort when all other means have failed.
