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Blink’s visit to the Middle East: ‘What can it offer?’ | New conflicts

US President Joe Biden sends his main diplomat to the Middle East just days after Egypt negotiates a ceasefire was obtained The Israeli military ended its 11-day deadly bombing and rocket launching of rockets against Israel.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Tuesday for the first round of a four-day trip, during which he will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He will then travel to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in an effort to “strengthen” the ceasefire.

He will travel to Egypt and Jordan around Blink this week to “discuss key follow-up efforts to establish a ceasefire in the coming months and reduce the risk of further conflict.”

The increased pressure on the Biden administration will come as Israel is held accountable for violations of its rights against Palestinians, as well as criticism of US support. weapon sale To the Israeli government.

Experts say Blinken’s tour of the Middle East is aimed at managing the conflict, rather than resolving it, and proves that the Biden administration largely detects a decade-long critique of U.S. foreign policy.

“Blinken and the Biden administration have no answer to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. They don’t want to be absorbed into what they consider an impossible task, ”said Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

Landis told Al Jazeera that the purpose of Blinken’s visit is simply to “try to get rid of this” – and that the administration’s strategy seems to be to “throw money at the problem”.

“He hopes the next war in Gaza will explode under someone else’s watch. And then … he can throw in some money, order rebuilding, convince Israel not to actually do stupid things, maybe slow down the settlements or at least make them more visible,” Landis said.

“That’s all she can do: stay a mother enough, give the Palestinians some money and buy it for another four years.”

Indicated objectives

Biden had previously stated that the Israel-Palestine conflict was not a priority in the early months of his administration among deeper challenges, such as the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and talks on the Iran nuclear deal.

But Israel’s attack on Gaza had to be directed at the U.S. president. Biden and his top officials have repeatedly stressed that Washington has been behind Israel’s “right to self-defense” for the past two weeks, even more so. blocking attempts When the UN Security Council called for a ceasefire when the violence in Gaza escalated.

Since the ceasefire was reached on Thursday, the administration has claimed its vision, saying the diplomacy behind it has helped strengthen the deal. But critics have questioned that, Biden said it needs to take a stronger line Address key issues in the conflict with Israel, such as the ongoing Israeli occupation and the 14-year-old blockade of Gaza.

A State Department official, speaking to reporters on Monday, said the main objectives of Blinken’s visit were a Palestinian faction governing a besieged enclave of 2 million people between Israel and Hamas to ensure a ceasefire and “improve quality.” about people’s lives ”.

This has led to working with the UN and the Palestinian Authority to bring reconstruction aid to the Gaza Strip – aside from Hamas, which the US does not speak to directly as a “terrorist organization”.

“We expect them [Hamas] understand that if help comes, that will be the case … We believe that if we do that, it will get us on the path, we hope to eventually re-enter the Palestinian Authority in Gaza to some extent. “, Said the official.

William Lawrence, a former U.S. diplomat and professor of international affairs at the University of America, said in Blinken’s trip he did not expect to talk about the “peace process,” because “discussions … and then disagreements over a peace process itself could threaten a ceasefire.”

Lawrence told Al Jazeera that the Biden administration hopes to prioritize “seeking ways to improve Palestinian rights and well-being in the face of the peace process,” adding that a change in the U.S. approach has already been noticed.

During Israel’s attack on Gaza, U.S. President Biden stressed that his administration is in favor of Israel’s “right to defend itself”. [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]

“The Biden administration has slightly changed the U.S. view on this issue by talking about the equivalence between Palestinian rights and welfare and Israeli rights and welfare, even though the U.S. priority is to support the State of Israel,” he explained.

“I think this visit will be a further articulation of this new argument that Palestinian life is important.”

‘Long wedding’

Imad Harb, director of research and analysis at the Arab Center in Washington, said Blinken’s visit is a positive step, as is the U.S. effort to help rebuild Gaza, as there have been hundreds of buildings. damaged and destroyed In the latest attacks in Israel.

“Going there for Blink means that the administration is interested in seeing how this thing develops, but on what basis? What is it willing to offer? What can it offer?” He said.

Harbe told Al Jazeera that key issues such as Palestinian self-determination and national rights need to be addressed – but questioned whether Blinken has the power to pressure Benjamin Netanyahu to do something the Israeli prime minister does not want to do.

It is still unknown whether the Biden administration has a plan for what comes after the reconstruction phase. “We provide the material to try to fix the help, but what will come next?” Harb said.

“How can the administration keep talking [a] when we know that the solution of the two states has essentially closed Israel [that option] with constant occupation, building illegal settlements … If we continue to talk about a two-state solution, we are simply not doing anything – we are repeating words and words and words. “

Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of the Arab World Democracy (DAWN), a U.S.-based think tank, said Blinken’s visit “will try to revive the two-state solution and the peace process.”

“It’s like appearing to get married after a long marriage is over,” he told Al Jazeera.

The Palestinians have said for many years that the two-state solution, which is to create an independent Palestinian state with Israel, is not possible because Israel has continued to occupy Palestinian lands. 600,000 Jewish settlers in the occupied territories.

Whitson added, however, that recent statements by Biden and other U.S. officials have mentioned the need for Palestinians to have equal rights – he believes the two-state solution is no longer viable.

“It should happen that the Biden administration acts as a democratic administration, as a transparent administration, and as a reflective administration that is in line with the reality I am thinking about: our vision of Israel has failed and is detrimental.”




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