US Secretary of State Blinken visits Israel and Palestinian Territories Netanyahu announces hard line after terrorist attack in Israel

Amid a new wave of violence in the Middle East, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Israel and the Palestinian Territories starting Monday. In Israel, talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Eli Cohen are on the agenda. It would be about Israel’s increasing integration in the region and its relations with the Palestinians. The topic of Iran should also be central.

Blinken plans to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Tuesday. The purpose of the visit to the region is de-escalation. Israel is taking a tough stance after the worst attack by a Palestinian in 15 years. The United States had unequivocally condemned the attack on visitors to a synagogue in East Jerusalem, which left seven dead.

Netanyahu announced new steps against hitmen and their families on Sunday. He also talked about strengthening the Israeli settlement project. Blinken had recently criticized Israel’s settlement policy in the occupied West Bank in clear terms.

Israel’s government – the most right-wing the country has ever had – has been in office for just a month. Since then, the conflict with the Palestinians has 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.

The nuclear dispute with Iran will likely be one of Blinken’s talking points in Israel. The US government does not rule out military action to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Blinken told Al-Arabija in an interview on Sunday that all options are on the table. When asked whether this also included a military option, Blinken did not rule it out.

However, he also said that the preferred route is through diplomacy. Iran had a chance to return to the international nuclear deal, but turned it down, Blinken said. As early as the summer of 2022, US President Joe Biden had not ruled out an attack “as a last resort”.

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 Israel and the United States have ever held together. The background is growing concern about Iran’s nuclear program. (sda/dpa)