On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged to oppose Israeli settlements or annexation of the West Bank, but he also said he would evaluate the incoming government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu based on their actions rather than their personalities.
After concluding a coalition agreement with extreme-right movements, such as Religious Zionism, which is set for a position in charge of settlements in the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu is anticipated to return to power within days.
Blinken congratulated the veteran Israeli leader, who has clashed with previous Democratic administrations in Washington, in an interview with J Street, a left-leaning advocacy group for Israel in the United States.
Blinken stated, “We will evaluate the government based on the policies it pursues rather than individual personalities.”
However, he stated that the administration of President Joe Biden would work “relentlessly” to preserve a “horizon of hope” for the establishment of a Palestinian state, despite its dim prospects.
Blinken stated, “We will also continue to unequivocally oppose any acts that undermine the prospects of a two-state solution, including but not limited to settlement expansion, moves toward annexation of the West Bank, disruption to the historic status quo of holy sites, demolitions and evictions, and incitement to violence.” Other actions that could jeopardize the possibility of a two-state solution also fall under this category.
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“Core democratic principles, including respect for the rights of LGBTQ people and the equal administration of justice for all citizens of Israel,” he stated, would be a top priority for the Biden administration.
Noam, led by Avi Maoz, is one of the far-right groups in Netanyahu’s coalition. Noam is strongly opposed to LGBTQ rights.
Contrary to Maoz’s pledge to cancel the Pride march in Jerusalem, Netanyahu has stated that it will continue.
In an interview with NBC News, Netanyahu stated, “On the LGBT questions, I just won’t accept any of that.”
Before Blinken spoke, Netanyahu said that he “didn’t hear a word from all the chorus of critics” about the current government, which was led by Yair Lapid and relied on support from an Arab Israeli party with Islamist roots.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the leader of Religious Zionism and likely to play a significant role, is a firm supporter of Jewish settlements. He had a portrait of Baruch Goldstein in his living room until recently when he killed 29 Palestinian worshippers at a Hebron mosque in 1994.
J Street’s president, Jeremy Ben-Ami, told reporters that the State Department had a “strong case” to consider Ben-Gvir persona non grata and that the US government should think about not dealing with other officials from extreme backgrounds.
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‘No substitute’ for peace
Israel held its fifth election on November 1—the fifth in less than four years—following the demise of Lapid’s diverse coalition, which attempted to exclude the scandal-plagued Netanyahu.
Israel’s 2020 promises to the United Arab Emirates, the first Arab nation to recognize Israel in decades, could be violated by any new attempt to seize the West Bank.
The so-called Abraham Accords were praised by Netanyahu and the Trump administration at the time as a significant achievement.
Three additional Arab nations soon followed in discussing ties with Israel, whose commercial relationship with the United Arab Emirates has increased dramatically in the past two years.
Blinken said, “For all of its benefits, normalization between Israel and its neighbors is not a substitute for building peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” which received some of the most applause from J Street.
“I am aware that a lot of people are disappointed; Blinken stated, “Many people are frustrated.”
He stated, “We’ve been trying for decades to get to a two-state solution, but it seems that we’ve only gotten further away from that goal.”
However, he advised against “succumbing to cynicism” and continued peacemaking efforts.
The US has put forth no major political attempt to facilitate a two-state arrangement since the Barack Obama administration, with Biden organization authorities secretly doubtful that they can agree with Netanyahu.
