Saudi Arabia was the latest stop on the diplomat’s tour to calm the region, which has been heated by the war between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas.
Blinken also said that all the leaders he met on his trip, which saw him visit six countries before leaving for Israel, agreed to work with the United States to help the Gaza Strip recover and ensure long-term stability.
He spoke after meeting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, in a luxury tent outside the historic oasis city of al-Ula.
“Actually about [santykių su Izraeliu normalizavimą] we talked at every stop, including of course here in Saudi Arabia, he told reporters before flying to Tel Aviv. “And I can tell you that there is a clear interest here in pursuing that.”
A tentative effort to forge potential ties between Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s two holiest sites, and Israel has been on hold since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted just over three months ago.
The war began with an unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, which killed around 1,140 people, most of them civilians, the AFP news agency reported, citing official Israeli figures.
Israel responded with relentless bombardment and a ground invasion that killed at least 22,835 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, has not recognized Israel and is not a party to the 2020 US-brokered so-called Abraham Accords, which saw Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco establish formal relations with Israel.
“Hard Decisions”
Blinken also visited Turkey, Greece, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in just three days, his fourth trip to the region since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
He said a general consensus had been reached on Israel’s security, unified Palestinian leadership in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, and ultimately an independent Palestinian state.
“Nobody I’ve talked to thinks it’s going to be easy, but we’ve agreed to work together and coordinate our efforts to help the Gaza Strip stabilize and recover, chart a political path for the Palestinians and achieve lasting peace, security and stability,” Blinken said. .
“I also made sure that […] all leaders are ready to make the necessary commitments and tough decisions to achieve all these goals,” he said.
Blinken also discussed attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea off Yemen, Saudi Arabia’s southern neighbor, disrupting shipping on this important sea route.
In solidarity with the Palestinians, Yemen’s Houthis have launched more than 100 drone and missile attacks against targets in Israel and the waterway linking Europe with Asia.
Last week, the US and 11 allies warned of unspecified consequences if the attacks continue.
But the situation is tense for Riyadh as it coincides with attempts to settle the long-running war between the Houthis and an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia.
Also in Saudi Arabia, A. Blinken met with the visiting head of the European Union’s foreign policy, Josep Borrell, regarding stopping the spread of the war between Israel and Hamas, said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
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2024-07-04 19:08:14