The US will soon add a senior diplomatic role to help boost integration in the Middle East, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, an announcement that comes as the Biden administration tries to reduce regional tensions between Israel and nearby Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia.
(Bloomberg) — The US will soon add a senior diplomatic role to help boost integration in the Middle East, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday, an announcement that comes as the Biden administration tries to reduce regional tensions between Israel and nearby Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia.
“We will soon create a new position to further our diplomacy and engagement with governments, the private sector and nongovernmental organizations, all working toward a more peaceful and connected region,” Blinken said in a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference Monday, without giving additional details.
The remarks, which were mostly laudatory but included some criticism of the current Israeli government’s policies that have exacerbated tensions with Palestine, come as Blinken prepares to depart for a trip to Saudi Arabia, where the Biden administration is seeking to improve relations.
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“A more integrated, prosperous, stable region serves the interests of Israel, it serves the interests of our regional partners, it serves the United States,” Blinken told a crowd consisting of members of Israel’s most influential lobby group in the US. “But integration and normalization efforts are not a substitute for progress between Israelis and Palestinians, nor do they come at its expense.”
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