Secretary of State Antony Blinken congratulated Israel’s Eli Cohen on his appointment as foreign minister and reminded the new member of the Netanyahu administration of the US position on a two-state solution with its Palestinian neighbors.
In a call on Monday, the couple discussed US-Israel relations, mutual interests and regional security. However, according to one reading, Blinken also “emphasized America’s continued commitment to a two-state solution and opposition to policies that jeopardize its viability.”
The secretary’s comments come just days after Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as Israeli prime minister for the sixth time in a dramatic return to power.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the first leg of his four-day trip to the Middle East, on May 25, 2021 in Jerusalem.
(Photos by Haim Zach/GPO via Getty Images)
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU RETURNS TO POWER IN ISRAEL AS NEW GOVERNMENT TAKES SWEAR IN
Netanyahu was ousted in June 2021 and is still on trial on corruption charges.
However, the popular right-wing figurehead, who secured another term and ushered in one of the most far-right cabinets Israel has seen, is expected to push the settlement push in the Palestinian West Bank, Reuters reported.
Netanyahu has allied his party with the parties of religious Zionism and Jewish power that oppose the Palestinian state.
Religious Zionism party leader Bezalel Smotrich was also appointed finance minister on Sunday, vowing that “Israel will be an island of stability and responsibility,” Reuters reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir react after being sworn in at the Israeli parliament during a new government swearing-in discussion at the Israeli parliament December 29, 2022 in Jerusalem.
(Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)
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Israeli-appointed police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also drew attention when he was reportedly convicted in 2007 of inciting violence against Arabs and supporting a Jewish militant group.
The new police minister made headlines during his campaign for saying that “all police officers should know that if a terrorist comes to harm you, their blood will be lost,” Reuters declared.
Netanyahu vowed to prioritize countering Iranian aggression and bringing peace to the region after his election; However, some fear that the concessions he made to his far-right cabinet could lead to further violations of the limits identified in a 1967 UN resolution.
A woman holds a map of Palestine from 1946 to 2020. Supporters of Palestine organized a rally in Toulouse against the planned annexation of parts of the West Bank and the full annexation of the Jordan Valley by the Netanyahu government on July 1, 2020.
(Photo by Alain Pitton/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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President Biden also congratulated Netanyahu and his administration on securing the high office, but remained steadfast in his desire for a two-state solution when it comes to Israel-Palestinian relations.
“The United States will continue to support the two-state solution and oppose policies that endanger its viability or contradict our mutual interests and values,” he said.
