(Cairo) A rapprochement between Israel and the Arab States, the majority of which do not recognize this country, would be “the best way to isolate Iran and its proxies”, said the Secretary of State on Thursday in Cairo. American Antony Blinken.
“Israel’s security and (regional) integration are linked to opening a path towards a Palestinian state,” he added during the final stage of his diplomatic marathon in the Middle East. devoted to the conflict in Gaza between Israel and the Palestinian movement Hamas.
In 2020, three new Arab countries – Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco – had signed agreements with Israel, after Egypt and Jordan in 1979 and 1994.
The war in Gaza, triggered by the unprecedented attack carried out by Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7, interrupted a similar process of normalization begun between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Today, while the Israeli shelling of Gaza has left more than 23,400 dead, the majority of them women, adolescents and children, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health, “the conflict must end for the situation to evolve” , pleaded Mr. Blinken.
In this regard, he claimed that Israel had “demobilized a significant number of forces” deployed in the besieged Palestinian territory, where Hamas took power in 2007.
Mr. Blinken assured this week that he had obtained from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Hamas’ historic rival and whose authority is only exercised over certain parts of the occupied West Bank, a reform of the Palestinian Authority, a sine qua non condition. by the Americans for the reunification of the Palestinian Territories, while Israel has sworn to eradicate Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The terms of this “reform” are, however, unclear, as many voices have been raised for years in the Palestinian Territories against this power which was supposed to be only interim, but has been maintained – without elections for years – due to of a horizon for the creation of the Palestinian State.
The war in Gaza has left around 1,140 dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on the Israeli toll.
Arriving from Israel, Mr. Blinken met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi. He then returned to the United States after visiting nine countries, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia, as well as the occupied West Bank.
Mr. Blinken, who accused Iran on Wednesday of “supporting” and “encouraging” attacks by Yemeni rebels in the Red Sea, however declared in Cairo that he did not think that “the conflict is escalating”.
According to him, none of the regional players want this: “this is not the case with Israel. Nor from Lebanon. And, in reality, I don’t think that’s Hezbollah’s wish either, in reference to the Lebanese armed movement.
Exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, have been almost daily on the Israeli-Lebanese border since the start of the war.
At the end of his regional tour, Mr. Blinken assured that the Arab-Israeli rapprochement he advocates would make it possible to isolate Tehran “and its proxies who cause so much harm (to the United States) and to almost everyone in the region”, in reference to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on boats in the Red Sea. “I think this vision is very clear for many leaders” in the Middle East, he insisted.