US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged on arrival at Tel Aviv airport that his visit to Israel and the West Bank comes at a “critical time”. . . After meeting with Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, he made this call again, but also left warnings to what is the most right-wing government in the country’s history. Today, Blinken will travel to Ramallah, in the West Bank, to meet with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmud Abbas.
“We ask all parties to take urgent measures to return to calm and de-escalation,” the head of US diplomacy said alongside Netanyahu, adding that he wants to “restore a sense of security for Israelis and Palestinians.”
A day after an Israeli army operation against Islamic Jihad targets in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank left 10 dead, an attack outside a synagogue in Jerusalem killed seven Israeli civilians. And there are fears that the escalation of violence could lead to the Third Intifada.
“Taking the life of an innocent in an act of terrorism is always a heinous crime, but attacking people outside their places of worship is especially shocking,” Blinken said. “We condemn all those who celebrate these and other acts of terror that cost civilian lives, no matter who the victim is or what they believe in. Calls for revenge against more innocent victims are not the answer. And acts of violent retaliation against civilians are never justified ‘, he said.
Statements coming after Netanyahu argued that more Israelis should be armed to prevent these attacks, even as he asked them not to act as vigilantes in response to the attack.
The Americans are concerned that Israel will also proceed to build settlements in a section known as E1 – something the ultra-nationalist minister in charge of this portfolio, Bezalel Smotrich, has said he wants to do. These constructions would keep East Jerusalem isolated from the rest of the West Bank and make a two-state solution impossible.
Blinken reiterated that the only way forward is precisely through the two-state solution — there has been no US-backed dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians since 2014. relations) are no substitute for a peace plan between Israelis and Palestinians.
Blinken also left a message about Netanyahu’s planned judicial reform. “Building consensus on new proposals is the most effective way to ensure they are embraced and hold up”, he claimed. This reform includes tightening political control over judicial appointments and limiting the Supreme Court’s powers to overturn government decisions or laws passed in the Knesset. The reform has been one of the reasons for the protests that have taken place in Israel, with warnings about the risks it poses to democracy. And several economists warn of the possible economic impact.
Source: DN
