MENAHEM KAHANA
After a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also emphasized that, in addition to improving the humanitarian situation, it must be ensured that the ruling Hamas does not benefit from the reconstruction aid.
Blinken reaffirmed Israel’s right to self-defense against arbitrary rocket attacks by militant Palestinians on its civilian population. He announced further US support for Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defense system.
The US Secretary of State emphasized that tensions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem also had to be reduced. Israelis and Palestinians alike have the right to live in security. He spoke out in favor of renewing relations with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. “We have to expand opportunities for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank,” said Blinken. “Such investments will help create a more stable environment for Palestinians and Israelis.”
The Palestinians want to found an independent state in the West Bank, conquered by Israel in 1967, and in the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as the capital. The UN classifies these areas as occupied.
On the Iran issue, Blinken said that they are in close consultation with Israel with a view to the negotiations in Vienna and a possible return to the nuclear deal with Tehran. Iran must be prevented from destabilizing the region. Netanyahu said: “We hope that the US does not return to the nuclear deal with Iran.” Such a move would allow Tehran “to have an arsenal of nuclear weapons with international approval,” he warned.