US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he saw an “extraordinary opportunity” in the next few months for Arab nations to achieve normalization with Israel, but emphasized a Palestinian state was a part of this process, if not a condition.
“Virtually every Arab country now genuinely wants to integrate Israel into the region to normalize relations…to provide security commitments and assurances so that Israel can feel more safe,” Blinken said during the Munich Security Conference.
“And there’s also, I think the imperative, that’s more urgent than ever, to proceed to a Palestinian state that also ensures the security of Israel,” he added.
The Biden Administration has been in talks with Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel along with the establishment of a Palestinian State.
In the past, President Biden has said that a “revitalized” Palestinian Authority could rule Gaza after the war, a possibility that Israeli Prime Minister has refused, citing the PA’s ties with terrorist groups.
[The Jewish Voice Report continues]
However, Israeli ministers including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have rejected a Palestinian State and said it would be a “reward” for murdering and capturing Israelis on October 7th.
“Everybody who talks about a two-state solution — well, I ask, what do you mean by that?” Netanyahu said on ABC News’s “This Week.” “Should the Palestinians have an army? … Should they continue to educate their children for terrorism and annihilation? Of course, I say, of course not.”
View this The Jewish Voice Report from February 18th