BLINKEN’S ISRAEL-PALESTINE TOUR: AN EMPTY SHELL?

Febbraio 3, 2023

BLINKEN’S ISRAEL-PALESTINE TOUR: AN EMPTY SHELL?

The MED This Week newsletter provides expert analysis and informed insights on the most significant developments in the MENA region, bringing together unique opinions on the topic and reliable foresight on possible future scenarios. Today we turn the spotlight on Blinken’s visit to Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Last Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Cairo for a three-day Middle East tour to Egypt, Israel and the Palestinian territories. The visit came amidst a sudden spike in violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank. In the wake of an Israeli raid on the Jenin refugee camp that claimed the lives of nine, a Palestinian gunman in retaliation killed seven people in East Jerusalem. These series of events deteriorated a situation that had already become overtly tense in the past weeks, especially in light of the formation of Benjamin Netanyahu’s new far-right government. These developments have been at the core of the talks Blinken held in Cairo, Jerusalem and Ramallah. During his stay, the Secretary of State urged an end to the violence, and reiterated the White House’s support for a two-state solution. However, Blinken’s declarations risk remaining just words. Relations between Israel and the US are becoming increasingly complex, and Washington is not perceived as a reliable interlocutor by the Palestinians. These statements are therefore unlikely to change the current situation on the ground. As the Palestinian Authority struggles to keep up with security developments in the West Bank, the Israeli government has shown its readiness to use an iron fist in response to violent attacks. In this context, the possibility of a further escalation is anything but remote.