Antony Blinken
The six foreign ministers announced that this first-of-a-kind meeting would become a regular event.
The fact that Arab leaders are meeting at a kibbutz in the Negev is “an Israeli dream come true. Even 10-15 years ago, it would have been considered prophetic,” said Hillel Frisch, of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.
During their meeting in Jerusalem, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett discussed Iran, the war in Ukraine and the Palestinian issue.
United States and Israel “see eye to eye” on Iran, says U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken • Lapid: America and Israel “have disagreements” on Iran, but “open and honest dialogue is part of the strength of our friendship.”
The three Arab countries scheduled to attend were all part of the Abraham Accords signed in the fall of 2020.
A U.S. State Department official said the secretary of state expects to cover the war in Ukraine, Iran, the Abraham Accords, preserving the prospects for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and building support for the U.N.’s engagement in Western Sahara.
Unlike most other Western countries, Israel has maintained open lines of communication with Russian President Vladimir Putin while also supporting Ukraine during the Russian onslaught.
According to a State Department readout, the two foreign ministers discussed “the premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack by Russia’s military forces on Ukraine and its people.”
Blinken calls Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to discuss relations, reform
The U.S. secretary of state said Israelis and Palestinians deserve to “enjoy equal measures of security, freedom and prosperity.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a virtual policy session with an Atlanta synagogue on Monday night, where tensions regarding a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine’s borders were front and center.
The phone meeting comes as the United States and world powers resumed negotiations with Iran over its nuclear deal in Vienna.
During a videoconference, the foreign ministers of the three countries welcomed “an achievement that has deepened ties, partnerships, and avenues to pursue shared goals.”
