US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that Israeli "settlement expansion clearly presents an obstacle to the horizon of hope that we seek." At the 2023 American Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Summit, Blinken added "likewise, any move toward annexation of the West Bank, de facto or de jure, disruption of the historic status quo at the holy sites, the continuing demolitions of homes and the evictions of families that have lived in those homes for generations damage prospects for two states." Blinken noted, "they also undermine the basic daily dignity to which all people are entitled." Blinken said "as the President said on his recent trip to Israel and the West Bank last summer, a two-state solution, based on the 1967 lines, with mutually agreed swaps, remains the best way to achieve our goal of Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace, with equal measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity, and dignity." "Now, it's no secret that, today, the prospects of a two-state solution can feel remote. But we are committed to working with partners and with the parties to at least maintain a horizon of hope," he said.
"In the immediate term, that means de-escalation, refraining from unilateral measures that increase tensions, that strengthen security cooperation to counter violence, and that improve daily life for the Palestinian people.
Over the past several years, we've seen a rising tide of horrific violence that's tragically and senselessly resulted in the loss of life of scores of civilians on both sides," Blinken added.
"That violence must end; its perpetrators must face equal justice under the law," Blinken said.
Source: Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)
