JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken attempted to meet privately with Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Helzi Halevi on Wednesday without Israel’s elected leaders present, but was blocked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The talks were blocked.
Blinken is currently in Israel to discuss hostage negotiations and the Biden administration’s goal of a Palestinian state.
era of israel report:
A previously scheduled meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Helj Halevi came after reports that the Prime Minister’s Office objected to a meeting between diplomats and the military without an elected official present. It was decided that the one-on-one meeting would not be held. leaders.
Mr. Blinken’s aim may have been to thwart an Israeli attack on Rafah, near the Egyptian border, a key smuggling hub and the last part of the Gaza Strip not attacked by Israel. Refugees are gathering from other parts of the Gaza Strip, and there is a risk of civilian casualties, but without Israeli control of Rafah, Hamas could sneak in weapons or sneak out Hamas itself or hostages. There is a possibility that
NEW: Secretary of State Blinken tells Prime Minister Netanyahu that the United States is very concerned about the potential expansion of Israeli military operations into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
More than 1 million Palestinians are concentrated in Rafah and its surrounding areas. https://t.co/wt2yID4yNW
— Axios (@axios) February 7, 2024
Blinken has sought to micromanage Israel’s war effort on behalf of President Joe Biden, and has been accused of holding one hour-long meeting with Israel’s war cabinet in October. Its purpose is to limit Israel’s freedom to act against Hamas terrorists, ostensibly arguing that eliminating Hamas decisively will cost more civilians in the short term than a slow war effort. This is because it may involve sacrifices.
Prime Minister Netanyahu and Blinken are scheduled to hold separate news conferences on Wednesday, another sign of deteriorating relations between the Biden administration and the Israeli government, which insists on achieving a once common goal of eliminating Hamas.
Blinken made disparaging remarks about Israel last month at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Joel B. Pollack is a senior editor at Breitbart News. Breitbart News Sunday Sunday nights from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM ET (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM PT) on Sirius XM Patriot. He is the author of the recent book, The Zionist Conspiracy (And How to Participate in It), now available on Audible. He is also the author of an e-book. Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 US Presidential Election. He is the recipient of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter @joelpolak.
