US in no rush to restart Palestine-Israel negotiations, says Blinken

The United States (US) does not plan to prioritise negotiations for a two-state solution at this time, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday in an interview with CNN.

The official was addressing a question on whether the Biden administration would pursue the controversial Middle East “peace plan”, which gave Israel the green light to annex large swathes of the occupied West Bank, including its illegal settlements.

The proposed peace deal was set out by then-President Donald Trump and spearheaded by his son-in-law and former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner.

“I don’t think we’re in a place where getting to some kind of a negotiation for what ultimately, I think, has to be the result, which is a two-state solution, is the first order of business,” Blinken told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria.

The comments come after the ceasefire, mediated by Egypt, that ended 11 days of hostilities, during which the Israeli military pounded Gaza with airstrikes.

READ: US faculty members stand with Palestinians against ‘settler colonialism and racial apartheid’

Gaza medical officials said over 270 people were killed in the Palestinian enclave, including 67 children, and aid officials have expressed concern about the humanitarian situation in the besieged Strip.

Pressed on whether the US still endorses the plan, Blinken wouldn’t answer directly.

“We’re going to look at everything that has been done before, learn from that just as we have in other areas, and see what makes sense and what doesn’t.”

Moreover, he added that the administration will re-engage Palestinian leaders and continue its “deep engagement” with Israel to “advance a genuine peace process”.

Death toll in Israeli attacks on Gaza Strip keeps rising…- Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

In a separate interview with ABC yesterday, Blinken stressed that US President Joe Biden has been very clear that he remains committed to a two-state solution.

“Look, ultimately, it is the only way to ensure Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state, and of course, the only way to give the Palestinians the state to which they’re entitled. That’s where we have to go,” he said. “But that, I don’t think, is something necessary for today.”

The US State Department announced last week that Blinken will travel to the Middle East “in the coming days”, with plans to meet with Israeli, Palestinian, and regional counterparts.

READ: We can’t support you forever, US says to Israel