Blinken backed into a corner over ceasefire stance
Arab Foreign Ministers urged the Israel-backing US Secretary of State to support a ceasefire on November 4, reports Middle East Online and agencies.
The US official was yet again in the Middle East having jetted off from Washington on November 3. He has so far visited Israel, where he was once again welcomed by Netanyahu, Jordan and Iraq.
It is believed that Blinken’s visit to the Iraqi capital Baghdad on November 5 was out of the blue. He was in the country to show his support to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani
A day prior to the Iraq visit, the Democrat met with the Foreign Ministers of Jordan and Egypt, Ayman Safadi and Sameh Shoukry respectively.
During the meeting in Jordan’s capital city Amman, the Arab officials repeatedly attempted to sway Blinken into supporting a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
READ: Hillary Clinton makes a case for opposition to Gaza ceasefire
The disagreement between the two parties was made public as the trio were taking part in a joint news conference when the argument regarding the matter broke out.
Blinken claimed that the backing of a cessation of hostilities would be playing into Hamas’ hands, echoing his predecessor Hillary Clinton who said that a ceasefire would be a gift to the Palestinian militants during a recent panel discussion at the Rice University’s Baker Institute Gala.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister also noted that Israel was committing war crimes.
Israel depriving Palestinians of food, water and other basic needs is widely regarded as a war crime as Al Jazeera reported that nearly 10,000 Gazans have been killed since October 7 in what has been a month of bloodshed.
During a meeting with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel-Aviv last month, Anthony Blinken was quoted saying, “The message I bring with me is this, you (Israel) may be strong enough on your own to defend yourselves but as long as America exists you will never have to,”.
It is no secret that America is a key ally of the Middle Eastern country as they are the biggest donor in military aid to Israel.
Middle East Online
