Anthony Blinken in the Middle East: restored hope to the Arabs?
US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, has ended his first visit to the Middle East, which followed the ceasefire between Israel and Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The visit was considered a US attempt to inspire hope among those and avoid another war.
Blinken said that the US would reopen its consulate in East Jerusalem and announced assistance to Palestinians for Gaza reconstruction during his stay.
The United States made clear its goals of “breaking the vicious cycle of violence” so that events similar to the last war would not repeat.
However, the Americans don’t yet have a recipe for how to do that. There is no talk of resuming the peace process, the outcome of which would be the declaration of an independent Palestinian state.
Blinken stressed that Washington believes that coexistence between two states – Israel and Palestine – is the best way to achieve peace in the region.
The Biden administration, which had not yet prioritized the Middle East settlement, was ready for a collective discussion on this issue, but the war in Gaza prompted Washington to act quicker.
The question now is to what extent Washington can go in its pursuit. The US Secretary of State’s visit to the Middle East might have given hope to the Arab world. Nevertheless,
Israel did not rejoice at the intensification of US contacts with the Palestinians, although the latter made clear that it would take into account the interests of its main regional partner.
