Antony Blinken says the Biden administration will not reject Donald Trump’s controversial US embassy move to Jerusalem.
The incoming administration will hold President Joe Biden’s U.S. embassy in Israel in Jerusalem, the nominee for the secretary of state confirmed at his Senate confirmation hearing.
“Do you agree that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and do you promise that the United States will keep our embassy in Jerusalem?” Asked Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.
“Yes and yes,” Antony Blinken testified Tuesday.
Outgoing President Donald Trump announced U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2017. The U.S. moved its embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May next year.
Jerusalem remains at the heart of decades-long Middle Eastern conflict, with the Palestinian Authority (PA) demanding that East Jerusalem – which had been illegally occupied since 1967 – become the capital of the Palestinian state.
“The only way to ensure the future of Israel as a Jewish, democratic state and to bring about a state to which they deserve is through the so-called two-state solutions,” Blinken said.
“I think in reality, it is difficult to see near-term expectations for moving forward with that.” It would be important to ensure that not all parties take steps that will improve the process that is already in place. challenging, ”he said.
No comment has yet been received from Palestinian presidency.
Lama Khater, a journalist based in the West Bank city of Hebron, wrote in a Twitter post: “It all depends on a change in the agendas of the U.S. administration, except total loyalty to Israel “.
كل شيء قابل للتغير في أجندة الإدارات الأمريكية المتعاقبة ، إلا الولاء المطلق لإسرائيل https://t.co/7LrhFles23
– Lama Khater لمى خاطر (@lama_khater) January 20, 2021
The Trump administration has been undeveloped in its open support for Israel.
The past four years have pushed U.S. favor to Israel through policies such as cutting U.S. support to the PA and withdrawing money back to the UN refugee group of millions of Palestinians responsible for education, food and livelihoods.
Contrary to international consensus, the Trump administration recognized Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Golan Heights owned and asserted that building a settlement is not illegal.
Nearly 500,000 Israelis live in towns in the West Bank. In the last few years settlement expansion has increased, threatening the viability of Palestine’s independent state as part of the two-state solution.
While Biden has said his administration will renew Washington’s pre-Trump policy on opposing settlement expansion, he nevertheless claims “ironclad support” for Israel.
Analysts have pointed out that Israel Biden’s policy appears to be a continuation, not a reshuffle of the previous administration. Biden campaign officials have said he is unlikely to back Trump’s recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights owned.
Biden has said he would leave the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem.