Blinken announced creation of two states while visiting Israel
2023.01.31 11:16
Blinken announced creation of two states while visiting Israel
By Kristina Sobol
Budrigannews.com – On a tour, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the West Bank on Tuesday to reiterate Washington’s support for a two-state solution to the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and to call for an end to violence.
After a Palestinian gunman killed seven people outside a synagogue last week, the worst such attack in the Jerusalem area in years, Blinken is urging both sides to remain calm.
During a meeting in Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, he was scheduled to repeat the message.
After the largest raid in years, Israeli forces penetrated deeply into a refugee camp in the northern city of Jenin, triggering a gunfight that resulted in the deaths of ten Palestinians, Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA) suspended its security cooperation agreement with Israel.
After Israeli raids on the occupied West Bank for months, PA leaders are furious.
The bloodiest month since 2015 has seen 35 Palestinian deaths in clashes with Israeli troops in January alone, and officials claim that Israeli settlers have also increased their attacks on Palestinian property.
Additionally, it is anticipated that Blinken will emphasize U.S. assistance to the Palestinian economy, which is heavily dependent on aid from abroad.
Blinken went to Deir Dibwan, a town near Ramallah where many Palestinian Americans live, and met businesspeople and leaders of civil society before meeting Abbas.
Back in charge of one of the most right-wing governments in Israel’s history, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised to strengthen settlements in the West Bank and bolster troops there, but has so far refrained from taking more drastic measures.
Blinken met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday to talk about how to work together to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and the situation in the West Bank.
Since the 2014 stalemate of the last round of U.S.-sponsored talks, there has been virtually no sign of a two-state solution with Israel and an independent Palestinian state largely based in the West Bank.
The Biden administration has stated that it will reopen a Palestinian consulate that was closed by former President Donald Trump, but it has not specified when or where.
