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A30 world news
Dialuna 28 Juni 2021

Blinken, Lapid meet in Rome amid reset US-Israel relations

engaged and trying to influ- not a substitute for engaging
ence the talks, rather than on the issues between Israelis
scuttle them. and Palestinians that need to
be resolved.”
“Israel has some serious res-
ervations about the Iran nu- On the U.S. side, the Biden
clear deal that is being put to- administration has made clear
gether in Vienna,” Lapid said, it wants to extricate the coun-
before pledging that Israel try from intractable conflicts
would make its objections in the Middle East and focus
privately. Netanyahu had on other challenges, such as
loudly and publicly opposed climate change and competi-
the deal when the Obama ad- tion with China.
ministration was negotiating
it. On Monday, outgoing Israeli
President Reuven Rivlin is to
“We have the same objective,” visit Washington at Biden’s
Blinken said. “Sometimes we invitation. A group of House
differ on the tactics, and we, Democrats are planning an
I think, are very clear and di- official trip to Israel as soon
rect to each other when that’s as Congress’ July 4th recess.
the case and that’s exactly
how it’s supposed to be.” There’s even talk of Lapid
(AP) — Hush-hush diplo- smaller achievements, such played a part in sparking the and Bennett traveling to
macy. In-person visits. Hush- as shoring up the informal 11-day war that claimed at Even the right-leaning Ben- Washington later in the sum-
hush diplomacy. In-person cease-fire that ended last least 254 Palestinian lives and nett, who is ideologically mer, separately or together,
visits. And a very public no- month’s war with Gaza’s killed 13 people in Israel. aligned with the hawkish the officials said. Bennett will
surprises agreement on Iran. militant Hamas rulers and Netanyahu, has toned down serve as prime minister for
replenishing Israel’s Iron The new coalition in Israel the rhetoric on Iran. the first two years, followed
U.S. Secretary of State Dome defense system. A shares little beyond the con- by Lapid, the architect of the
Antony Blinken and Israeli major push to revive the viction that Netanyahu had “We will continue to consult coalition.
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid long-dormant peace process to go. It’s composed of eight with our friends, persuade,
met in Rome on Sunday as between Israel and the Pal- parties, each effectively with discuss, and share informa- All the officials spoke on
their new governments look estinians could unsettle the veto power on decisions. So tion and insights out of mu- condition of anonymity to
to turn the page on former delicate balance. if even one party bolts, Isra- tual respect,” Bennett said discuss administration plans
President Donald Trump el’s government would be at Thursday. “But at the end of and logistics, which have not
and former Prime Minister “Nobody thinks it’s a good serious risk of collapse, with the day, we will be responsi- been finalized.
Benjamin Netanyahu, whose idea to start charging through Netanyahu waiting just off- ble for our own fate, nobody
close alliance aggravated par- on a major new peace initia- stage. else.” So far, the reset seems to be
tisan divisions within both tive,” said Ilan Goldenberg, a functioning. But with the
countries. Mideast security expert at the At least in the short term, Tamping down tensions — Israeli coalition barely two
nonprofit Center for a New Lapid, a centrist, will be Is- or at least not inflaming them weeks old, significant chal-
Now, with Trump sidelined American Security. “But rael’s point man on repairs — is a key strategy, the offi- lenges loom.
in Florida and Netanyahu there are things you can do to the tattered relationship cials said.
leading the opposition, Presi- quietly under the radar, on with Biden and the Demo- Biden has moved to reverse
dent Joe Biden and Prime the ground, to improve the crats. The party controls both Blinken spoke of the need to Netanyahu-backed Trump
Minister Naftali Bennett are situation.” houses of Congress but is resolve the Israeli-Palestinian policies that alienated the
focused on pragmatic diplo- increasingly divided on the conflict but did not offer any Palestinians, and the admin-
macy rather than dramatic That approach — of manag- Mideast conflict, with pro- kind of timetable or any strat- istration has said Israelis and
initiatives that risk fomenting ing the conflict rather than gressive members calling for egy to “offer a more hopeful Palestinians should enjoy
opposition at home or dis- trying to solve it — may suc- the U.S. to exert more pres- future for everyone: Palestin- equal measures of security
tracting from other priorities. ceed in papering over do- sure on Israel. ians and Israelis alike with and prosperity.
mestic divisions. But it also equal measures of opportu-
“In the past few years, mis- maintains a status quo that “What they’re building now nity and dignity.” But the U.S. has yet to ex-
takes were made,” Lapid told the Palestinians find increas- is mutual trust,” said Michael plain how it intends to bring
Blinken as they sat down for ingly oppressive and hope- Oren, former Israeli ambas- And, while the Biden admin- that about without ending
talks in a Rome hotel. “Is- less, and which has fueled sador to the United States istration supports and hopes Israel’s half-century military
rael’s bipartisan standing was countless cycles of unrest. under Netanyahu. “I expect a to expand on the Trump-era occupation of the West Bank,
hurt. We will fix those mis- change of tone rather than of Abraham Accords that nor- its blockade on Hamas-ruled
takes together.” The Americans and Israelis substance... but there’s a pos- malized relations between Gaza and discriminatory pol-
will try to work out differ- sibility that it could produce Israel and several Arab coun- icies in Jerusalem that fueled
Lapid said he had spoken ences away from the pub- something better for Israel.” tries, Blinken said they “are a spring of unrest.
with Democrats and Repub- lic, as in Biden’s “quiet” di-
licans since taking office and plomacy, when he privately Topping the agenda in both
had “reminded them all that urged Netanyahu to wind countries are talks in Vienna
we share America’s most ba- down the Israel-Hamas war over reviving Iran’s 2015
sic, basic values — freedom, ahead of a truce that took ef- accord with world powers
democracy, free markets and fect May 21. to limit Tehran’s ability to
constant search for peace.” develop nuclear weapons.
“We believe the way to dis- Trump, with Netanyahu’s
Blinken noted that even cuss those disagreements is backing, pulled the U.S. out
though the two governments through direct and profes- of the deal in 2018 and im-
are new, “the foundation that sional conversation, not a posed sanctions on the Is-
we’re working on is one of an press conference,” Lapid said. lamic Republic. Biden prom-
enduring partnership, a rela- ised to restore and expand the
tionship, friendship between Both governments will try to agreement.
the United States and Israel.” preserve Israel’s fragile gov-
erning coalition, in part by Now, Israel’s new govern-
The push means aiming for reducing provocations that ment seems intent on staying