U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his latest urgent Mideast tour on Thursday in talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as American officials claimed modest success in getting wide regional support for planning for reconstruction and governance in Gaza after Israel’s war with Hamas ends.
Quick Read
- Blinken’s Mideast Tour Concludes: Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded his urgent Middle East tour with talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
- Focus on Gaza’s Reconstruction: The tour aimed at garnering support for the reconstruction and governance of Gaza after the end of the conflict with Israel.
- Challenge with Israeli Government: Progress is uncertain due to disagreements with Israel’s far-right government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on key points of the plan.
- Regional Support Secured: Blinken secured commitment from several Arab and Muslim nations, previously hesitant, for post-war planning in Gaza.
- Participation of Various Countries: Countries including Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the Palestinian Authority, and Greece agreed to participate in general planning for Gaza’s future.
- Contingent Arab Support: Arab nations’ support is contingent on the conflict’s end and the establishment of a pathway for an independent Palestinian state, which Netanyahu opposes.
- Difficult Discussions with Israel: Talks with Israel were challenging but resulted in an agreement for a U.N. inspection team to assess northern Gaza for the safe return of residents.
- Reform of the Palestinian Authority: A summit in Aqaba focused on reforms within the Palestinian Authority, including government appointments, anti-corruption measures, and judicial and media reforms.
- Combating Iran’s Regional Influence: Blinken emphasized that creating a Palestinian state and bolstering Israel’s security is crucial to counter threats from Iran-backed groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
- Long-term Regional Solution: The crisis has increased Arab support for a long-term solution that addresses both Israel’s security needs and Palestinian aspirations for statehood, with a regional commitment to both objectives.
- Readiness for Tough Decisions: Blinken noted an increased willingness among countries in the region to make difficult decisions to advance the peace and security agenda.
The Associated Press has the story:
Blinken sees a path to Gaza peace, reconstruction & regional security after his Mideast tour
Newslooks- CAIRO (AP) —
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his latest urgent Mideast tour on Thursday in talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as American officials claimed modest success in getting wide regional support for planning for reconstruction and governance in Gaza after Israel’s war with Hamas ends.
But progress is uncertain because Israel’s far-right government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not on board with several key points and it remains unclear if it can be convinced to accept them.
Still, Blinken secured buy-in from previously reluctant Arab and Muslim nations to begin post-war planning planning for Gaza in discussions with the leaders of Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the Palestinian Authority over the weeklong mission, his fourth to the Middle East since the war began in October.
Winning approval for the consideration of post-conflict scenarios along with tamping down renewed fears that the Gaza war could spread were Blinken’s main goals.
Each country — along with Greece, which Blinken also visited — pledged to participate in the general planning, although precise contributions have yet to be determined and Israel remained an outlier.
“On our previous trips here, I think there was a reluctance to talk about some of the day-after issues in terms of long-term stability and security on a regional basis,” Blinken told reporters at Cairo’s airport after his meeting with el-Sissi. “But now we’re finding that our partners are very focused on that and wanting to engage on those questions.”
“They’re also clearly prepared to take steps to do things, to make commitments necessary both for Gaza’s future and for long-term peace and security of the region,” Blinken said.
However, Arab support is contingent on not only the end of the conflict but also the establishment of a pathway for the creation of an independent Palestinian state, something that Netanyahu opposes.
U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe private diplomatic talks, said the conversations Blinken had in Israel on Tuesday were the most difficult on the trip. But, they added, the talks had been successful in getting Israel to agree to a United Nations inspection team visit to northern Gaza to gauge whether it is safe for residents who fled the Israeli offensive to return.
Also key to the plan is the reform of the Palestinian Authority, which was the main agenda item at a summit held Wednesday in Aqaba between el-Sissi, Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
“We have a commitment from the Palestinian Authority to pursue meaningful reform,” Blinken said. Officials said the changes would include the appointment of a new technocratic government, a crackdown on corruption, judicial reform and an easing of media restrictions.
Blinken said Israel bolstering its security and the creation of a Palestinian state is the best way to thwart attacks from Iran’s regional proxies, like Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Yemen’s Houthis and various militia that have staged attacks on U.S. and foreign interests in Iraq and Syria.
“The other path is to continue to see the terrorism, the denialism, and the destruction by Hamas, by the Houthis, by Hezbollah, all backed by Iran,” Blinken said.
He added that the current crisis had galvanized Arab backing to find a long-term solution that bolsters Israel’s security, creates a Palestinian state and isolates Iran and its proxies.
“There’s a path that brings Israel’s needs and desires for integration in the region and genuine security with the Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own,” Blinken said. “You can’t have one without the other, and you can’t have either without a regional commitment to advancing on both tracks.”
He said there is “a greater willingness now of countries to make the hard decisions and do what’s necessary to advance on that track.”
