US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared in an interview with Foreign Affairs magazine’s Daniel Kurtz-Phelan that Hamas has become more proactive in pushing for a ceasefire and the release of hostages. He stated: “I think in this moment, Hamas, over the last couple of weeks, has reengaged in a more productive way on trying to get this over the finish line. And I think that’s because they’ve seen that the cavalry is not coming to the rescue.”
Blinken also commented on Hamas’s previous efforts to escalate the conflict, saying: “One of the things that they’ve tried to do throughout is to get a wider war, with Hezbollah coming in, with Iran coming in, with other Iranian-aligned proxies coming in. And that’s not happening, as we’ve seen, and that’s not happening because of the effective policies we pursued.”
He further elaborated on the actions taken to prevent a broader war, saying: “From day one, we wanted to ensure, to the best of our ability, that there wouldn’t be a wider war, both because that would lead to more death and destruction and because it would only prolong Gaza. Now that there’s clarity, because of the way we’ve been able to work with Israel to effectively defend against unprecedented attacks from Iran in a way that Iran is on its heels, because we’ve been able to work with Israel now to get an effective ceasefire in Lebanon, but also a much-weakened Hezbollah so that it’s not coming in, Hamas has to contend with that, and I think that does offer the possibility of landing this.”
On the broader Middle Eastern landscape, Blinken addressed the potential for normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. He said, “There is a path that leads, I believe, to Israel’s enduring security. It’s integration with the region; it’s integration with a common security architecture that can further isolate Iran and deal with any aggression coming from Iran. We saw that in embryonic form when Iran attacked Israel in this unprecedented way, and the United States, for the first time, took part in Israel’s active defense—but also other countries, with our diplomacy bringing them in, not only in Europe but in the region. So you could see where this can go.”
He went on to discuss the importance of Saudi-Israeli normalization, stating, “And of course, the key to that is the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. I think the incoming administration will have, I hope, a historic opportunity to build on the Abraham Accords, which is a terrific achievement, and one that we sought to deepen and expand, and get to Saudi-Israeli normalization that will also bring in other countries. But in order for that to happen, we need calm in Gaza, and that’s clear from the Saudis. But we also need a credible pathway to a Palestinian state. To the extent that Saudi Arabia insisted on that before October 7, it’s now even more convinced. And I’ve heard this directly from MBS (Mohammed bin Salman), about his views on the necessity of having a clear and credible pathway to a state.”
Blinken also noted the stance of Israel, saying, “Israelis can’t accept, shouldn’t accept, a Palestinian state based on resistance, not coexistence. But I believe strongly that we can have something, a pathway, that is both time-bound and conditions-based. Palestinians have to know that there’s going to be the realization of a state within a certain period of time. Israelis have to know that that can only come about if certain conditions are met that really assure Israel’s security.”
The interview came just after a report in Haaretz suggested significant progress in Saudi-Israeli normalization. The report claimed Riyadh would accept a declaration from Israel affirming its commitment to creating “a path toward a Palestinian state.” However, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office later denied this, stating, “The report about an Israeli commitment to allow ‘a path toward a Palestinian state’ is absolutely false. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acted, and is acting, against the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger the security of Israel.”
Saudi Arabia has been more critical of Israel in recent months, following the October 7 Hamas attack. The kingdom paused US-backed normalization efforts after the massacre, and in September, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reiterated that an “independent Palestinian state” was essential for normalization. Last month, he called Israel’s military actions in Gaza “genocide.”
{Matzav.com}
There already is a Palestinian state. It is called Jordan.
We are even more convinced that you and biden have to get out of government
Saudi Arabia just wants to have a place to dump their own unwanted Palestinians, before they rise up in frothing rage against the kingdom, just like the Palis did in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria (which is why none of these countries allow their Palis equal rights and confine them to lower-caste status, so to speak).