Monitoring Desk
WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Sunday arrived in Egypt on his fourth trip to the region. His visit aimed to use US influence to calm down Israeli-Palestinian tensions after incidents of violence.
On Monday and Tuesday, Blinken will travel to Ramallah and Jerusalem to see Israel’s new right-wing government.
Blinken will call on Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to call “broadly for measures to be taken to de-escalate tensions,” US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters as he condemned the “horrific” synagogue attack.
The violence is also likely to be discussed in talks between Blinken and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, whose country’s traditional role as a Middle East mediator has supported him as a key US partner despite US President Joe Biden’s criticism of his human rights record.
Blinken to discuss Middle East situation
The visit of Blinken is part of an effort by the Joe Biden administration to engage quickly with Benjamin Netanyahu, who returned to office, leading the most right-wing government in the history of Israel.
Blinken is expected to reiterate US support for a Palestinian state on his visit. The US State Department said Blinken would also call for preserving the status quo at the flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, which is holy to Jews and Muslims.
Blinken is also expected to deliberate over regional issues such as Libya and Sudan in Egypt, the State Department said.
Egypt remains one of the top recipients of US military assistance, but the cooperation faces scrutiny from parts of Biden’s Democratic Party due to El-Sisi’s rights record.
