Secretary of State Antony Blinken a conference organized by the left-wing J-Street that he will judge the new government by its policy
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed the left-wing pro-Israel lobby J Street’s annual conference, stating: “We will object to any move to annex the West Bank. We have to allow the Palestinian youth to at least imagine a better future.”
“We fully respect the democratic choice of the Israeli people and congratulate Benjamin Netanyahu, and welcome his commitment to work for the benefit of all residents of the State of Israel, without exception,” the Secretary of State stated.
Blinken insisted that the Biden administration will judge the new government in Israel “By its policy and not by the identity of specific characters.” He emphasized that the United States would demand that the new government “continue to work with us and advance our shared values, just as we have with previous governments.”
Blinken continued to say that “normalization between Israel and its neighbors is not a substitute for building peace between Israelis and Palestinians” and insisted that Israelis and Palestinians do not share the same level of freedom and that he supports equal treatment for violence in the West Bank, no matter if it comes from Israel or the Palestinians.
Shortly before Bliken’s address, designated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on American national television, and discussed criticism of members of his new government, while also vowing to limit changes to the status quo by his conservative allies with regard to hot-button social issues.
Netanyahu noted the presence of the United Arab List (Ra’am) – which is affiliated with the southern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel – in the outgoing coalition government, whose members have warned of an impending erosion of LGBT rights.
“On Ben-Gvir, the Supreme Court looked into his eligibility and said that he could,” Netanyahu said.
“We just had a government where the party that is beholden to the Muslim Brotherhood, who don’t believe in any democratic values, LGBT rights, women’s rights, and so on.”
“They were part of the government, and I didn’t hear a word from all the chorus of critics who came out.”
Netanyahu vowed to limit his conservative allies’ ability to determine state policy on social issues, citing his record on LGBT issues.
“On the LGBT questions. I just won’t accept any of that. It isn’t just something I’m saying now, I have a record… a record in general of having two hands on the wheel. And I ultimately decide policy.”
The Post
