After his visit to Saudi Arabia, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israel’s Prime Minister not to undermine prospects for a Palestinian state and Israel’s integration into the Middle East.
On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to undermine prospects for a Palestinian state after talks in Saudi Arabia, which linked normalization to peace efforts.
Blinken, after wrapping up a visit to the Gulf Arab monarchy criticized by rights groups, spoke by telephone with Netanyahu to discuss “deepening Israel’s integration into the Middle East through normalization with countries in the region,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
Blinken “discussed the need to uphold the commitments made at regional meetings in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh to avoid measures that undermine the prospects for a two-state solution,” Miller said, referring to talks earlier this year in Jordan and Egypt that brought Israeli, Palestinian, and US officials together.
The US Secretary of State, in a speech this week before the leading US pro-Israel group, said that he would work to win recognition of the Jewish state by Saudi Arabia—an important goal for Israel due to the kingdom’s size and role as guardian of Islam’s two holiest sites.
Speaking alongside Blinken on Thursday, Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that normalization with Israel “is in the interest of the region” and would “bring significant benefits to all.”
“Therefore, I think we should continue to focus on finding a pathway towards a two-state solution, on finding a pathway towards giving the Palestinians dignity and justice.”
Miroslava Salazar with AFP
