Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking in Davos, Switzerland, reiterated his belief that for Israel to achieve “true security,” it is “necessary” that Palestine find a way to become an independent state.
“It's going from here to there, and of course there are going to be very difficult and challenging decisions,” Blinken said Wednesday at the World Economic Forum, the Associated Press reported. “You have to be open-minded to that perspective.”
He went on to argue that the biggest security concerns are with Iran and its proxies, including the Houthi rebels in Yemen, as war in the region continues to escalate between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
He argued that if Israel could integrate into the region and partner with other Middle Eastern countries, it would be able to isolate Iran and its threats, according to the Associated Press.
“We are currently in the midst of a human tragedy in the Middle East in many ways, both for Israelis and for Palestinians,” Blinken said, appealing for the urgency of partnership.
His comments came days after he returned from a week-long trip to the Middle East, visiting nine countries. State Department Spokesman Matt Miller recently said that Arab countries are willing to partner with the United States on short- and long-term solutions for Palestinians in Gaza as the war that began on October 7 continues, but it is clear that Israel He said that only if the parties agree. on board.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Saudi Arabia's Prince Faisal bin Farhan also attended the event in Davos, according to the Associated Press.
Prince Faisal appeared to share Blinken's opinion, saying that his country agrees to regional peace that includes Israel, but that “that can only happen through peace for the Palestinian people and through a Palestinian state.”
In his speech, Blinken called the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip “heartbreaking.”
Since Hamas invaded Israel in a surprise attack in the fall, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages, Israel has launched a deadly counterattack that has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians and killed many more. of the displaced, injured and left with less than one meal a day. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health.
“My heart is broken by the pain,” Blinken said in his keynote address. Reuters reportedHe added that the United States has heard from nearly every country in the Middle East that they want to end Israel's wars.
He urged Israel to decide what happens next, saying it was up to them to “seize the opportunities that we believe are there.” He called this a “tipping point” for the Middle East, according to the newswire.
Blinken also addressed the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, saying there is no immediate prospect of a ceasefire.
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
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