Antony Blinken, the outgoing Secretary of State, disclosed that he spent nine hours persuading Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to provide aid to Palestinians in Gaza following the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
During an interview with The New York Times published on Saturday, Blinken mentioned that he even threatened to call the president and advise him not to visit if the assistance was not allowed to flow. He confirmed that the president supported this stance.
The extensive interview covered various global conflicts during Blinken’s time as President Joe Biden’s top diplomat, as well as his thoughts on the implications of Donald Trump’s victory for international relations.
In the interview, Lulu Garcia-Navarro raised questions about the Gaza war, calling it the defining crisis of the era and highlighting the perceived indiscriminate impact of Israel’s operations. She pressed Blinken on whether he believed Israel had committed war crimes in Gaza and if he considered Netanyahu a partner.
While Blinken did not directly address these questions, he emphasized that despite his frustrations with some Israeli actions, he does not see the situation in Gaza as genocide. He placed the blame for the crisis on Hamas and criticized the lack of global condemnation towards the group.
Blinken also mentioned that perceived disagreements between the US and Israel hindered ceasefire efforts, with Hamas exploiting any public rift to avoid agreements. He expressed optimism about the potential for a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza, as well as the prospect of an Israeli normalization deal with Saudi Arabia.
He indicated that a post-conflict plan involving multiple regional partners was in the works and could lead to lasting peace if implemented. If progress is not made soon, Blinken suggested passing the initiative to the incoming Trump administration.
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