US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has promised the Palestinian Authority (PA) its own state in the West Bank. For the US, a two-state solution is non-negotiable. Headwinds come from the Israeli government.
Blinken reiterated during talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah that the US supports tangible steps toward the creation of a Palestinian state. Blinken said at the meeting on Wednesday that the US administration insists that a Palestinian state must exist alongside Israel to ensure peace and security, according to his spokesman Matthew Miller.
Dispute over tax money
The conversation between Blinken and Abbas also discussed the payment of tax revenues collected by Israel in the West Bank. Israel collects taxes and customs duties on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Blinken now emphasized that all Palestinian tax revenue collected by Israel must be consistently passed on to the PA, in accordance with previous agreements.
Israel refuses to pay out
Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, recently re-emphasized that Israel would not release these funds. “I ask our friends in the United States: Can you imagine Washington transferring hundreds of millions of dollars every month to the planners and perpetrators of the September 11 terrorist attack,” Smotrich said, according to Israeli media sources.
According to consistent media reports, the conversation was said to have been tense, especially on this topic. Abbas reportedly asked Blinken to put pressure on Israel to release the frozen assets. Blinken, on the other hand, stuck to his demand for administrative reforms at the PA. These would benefit the Palestinian people.
UN mission in the Gaza Strip
In light of the fighting in the Gaza Strip, Blinken reiterated calls to minimize harm to civilians in the closed coastal strip and to accelerate and expand the delivery of humanitarian aid. According to US sources, Israel has agreed to a UN mission in the northern Gaza Strip to assess the situation there.
The mission will determine “what needs to be done so that displaced Palestinians can safely return to their north,” Blinken said. He also called on Israel to “stop taking measures that undermine the Palestinians’ ability to govern themselves.”
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
