Staff Reports
Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, told a group in Washington that has been advocating against Israel that the country and its Arab neighbors should leverage their relations to help the Palestinians. He also said that Jewish settlements in occupied territories should stop.
Despite being critical of the Jewish State, J Street, a lobbying group that promotes peace between Palestinians and Israel, hosted Blinken at its convention. He claimed that the Trump administration is working on normalizing relations between Israel and Arab states. However, he did not acknowledge that it was the Abraham Accords that led to these agreements.
In response to a question, Blinken said that Israel's growing integration and opportunities are helping the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. He also noted that the United States and its Arab partners can leverage the country's relations to help the Palestinians.
This year, there have been several murders of Israelis by Palestinians, but Blinken tried to put a positive spin on it.
In response to another question, Blinken stated that he is deeply concerned about the increasing number of violent incidents in the West Bank. He said that these incidents were carried out by both Israeli settlers and Palestinians.
Despite the efforts of the Biden administration to revive the Iran nuclear deal, Blinken noted that the country's regime is still an existential threat to Israel. The agreement was signed under the Obama administration.
He noted that Iran continues to provide weapons to militant groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, and this is threatening Israel's existence.
Despite the various threats that Iran poses, Blinken noted that the best way to deal with the regime is through diplomacy. He claimed that the Biden administration conducted a comprehensive diplomatic process to try and reach an agreement regarding the nuclear deal.
Blinken also noted that Iran continues to violate the terms of the nuclear deal. He said that the country has repeatedly demonstrated its unwillingness to take the necessary steps.
He called for an end to the construction of new settlements in the West Bank and the establishment of a two-state solution.
In response to another question, Blinken noted that the US will continue to oppose all forms of activities that undermine the two-state solution. These include the construction of new settlements and the move toward the annexation of the West Bank.
Although Blinken referred to the disruption of the historic status quo at Jerusalem's holy sites, he did not criticize the Palestinians for their constant protests and vandalism. He instead noted that both the Palestinians and the Israelis do not enjoy equal rights and opportunities.
Despite the hardships that the Palestinians face, visitors to the region can still see that some of them live in lavish homes. Many people believe that the Palestinians receive unfair foreign aid. This is because a corrupt system is used to distribute the money that the US and other countries give them.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on Daily Wire.
