The Biden administration will soon establish a new position aimed at expanding the Abraham Accords, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday, while also promising that Washington would continue to push back against settlement building or other activities that could endanger a two-state solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea for a point person tasked with shepherding normalization between Israel and its Arab neighbors has reportedly been in the works for the past several months. The announcement comes as the Biden administration has begun to prioritize brokering a diplomatic agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Monday\u2019s remarks from Blinken at an American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington was the first time that a US official revealed the initiative publicly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
policy summit in Washington, DC, on June 5, 2023. (Mandel NGAN \/ AFP)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Biden administration will soon establish a new position aimed at expanding the Abraham Accords, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday, while also promising that Washington would continue to push back against settlement building or other activities that could endanger a two-state solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The idea for a point person tasked with shepherding normalization between Israel and its Arab neighbors has reportedly been in the works for the past several months. The announcement comes as the Biden administration has begun to prioritize brokering a diplomatic agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Monday\u2019s remarks from Blinken at an American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference in Washington was the first time that a US official revealed the initiative publicly.Into the Land: A Tale of Two CitiesPauseNext playlist itemUnmuteLoaded: 4.77% Picture-in-PictureFullscreenClose<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIsrael\u2019s further integration in the region contributes to a more stable, a more secure and more prosperous region. Blinken said. \u201cThat\u2019s why President Biden has made it a cornerstone of his Middle East policy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will soon create a new position to further our diplomacy and engagement with governments and private sector, nongovernmental organizations, all working toward a more peaceful and a more connected region,\u201d he added. The secretary of state did not elaborate further on the nature of the new position, but a US official confirmed to The Times of Israel last month that former US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro\u2019s name has been floated for the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n