On video: Not only Vogel: Smotrich also says that Hvara should be "erased" (TheMarker Labels financial conference)
United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met yesterday (Monday) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Washington with the Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, and with the National Security Advisor, Tzachi Hanegbi, and expressed to them his concern about the continued escalation in the West Bank.
"All sides need to take steps to de-escalate and restore calm," Blinken said during the meeting, according to US State Department spokesman Ned Price.
why is it important
The US administration is trying to prevent a flare-up in the West Bank during Ramadan.
The Americans hoped that the security summit in Aqaba would help curb the escalation and were disappointed by the reactions to the summit in the Israeli government.
Minister Bezalel Smotrich's statement calling for the "erasure" of Hvara added to the American concern and provoked great anger in the administration, to the point of considering the possibility of not giving Smotrich a visa for his visit to the United States next week.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (Photo: Reuters)
in the news center
Shortly before the meeting between Blinken, Dermer and Negbi, new attacks by settlers against Palestinians in Hawara took place.
In videos from the scene, settlers were seen attacking Palestinians with axes.
At least one Palestinian was seriously injured.
In other videos from the scene, soldiers were seen dancing with settlers who came to the scene instead of engaging in security activities and preventing attacks on Palestinians or Israelis.
The IDF said that the conduct of the soldiers was against the procedures.
The big picture
Dermer and Hangabi arrived in Washington at the head of a large Israeli security delegation for the talks of the Israeli-American Strategic Forum on Iran.
The delegation held talks at the White House yesterday with an American delegation headed by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.
In a joint statement issued at the end of the meeting, it was stated that the two sides discussed the Iranian nuclear program and expressed great concern over the progress the Iranians have made.
The parties pledged to increase their coordination to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and to deter Iranian aggressive actions in the region.
During the meeting at the White House, the parties discussed the recent joint military exercises of the IDF and the US Army and the visit of the US Secretary of Defense to Israel on Wednesday.
"Sullivan emphasized President Biden's commitment to Israel's security as expressed in the Jerusalem Declaration signed by the President during his visit to Israel in July," the White House said.
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Anthony Blinken
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Ron Drummer
Tzachi Hangabi
