Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated his belief that finding a pathway for Palestine to become its own state is “necessary” for Israel to obtain “genuine security,” while giving remarks in Davos, Switzerland.
“The problem is getting from here to there, and of course, it requires very difficult, challenging decisions,” Blinken said Wednesday at the World Economic Forum, as reported by The Associated Press. “It requires a mindset that is open to that perspective.”
The secretary continued, claiming the biggest concern around security would be Iran and its proxies, including the Houthi rebels in Yemen, as war continues to rage in the region between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
He argued if Israel could be integrated into the region and partner with other Middle Eastern countries, they could isolate Iran and the threat, per the AP.
“We’re in the midst of what is human tragedy in so many ways in the Middle East right now — for the Israelis and Palestinians alike,” Blinken said, calling for urgency on partnerships.
His comments come just days after he returned from a weeklong trip in the Middle East, where he visited nine countries. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller recently said the Arab nations are ready to partner with the U.S. on both short-term and long-term solutions for Palestinians in Gaza amid the ongoing war that began Oct. 7, but only if Israel is willing to get on board.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and Saudi Arabian foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan also attended the event in Davos, according to the AP.
Bin Farhan seemingly shared the same sentiment with Blinken, saying the country would agree to regional peace, including Israel, but it can “only happen through peace for the Palestinians, through a Palestinian state.”
In his address, Blinken called the continued conflict in Gaza “gut-wrenching.”
Since Hamas entered Israel in a surprise attack that killed 1,200 people and took more than 200 hostage in the fall, Israel has embarked on a deadly counteroffensive that has killed more than 23,000 people in Gaza and left many displaced, injured and eating less than one meal a day, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
“The suffering breaks my heart,” Blinken said at the keynote address, Reuters reported, adding that the U.S. is hearing from almost every country in the Middle East that wanted to bring an end to Israel’s war.
The secretary urged the Israelis to decide on what comes next, saying it’s up to them to “seize the opportunity that we believe is there.” He called the moment an “inflection point” for the Middle East, per Reuters.
Blinken also spoke about the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, and said he could not see a cease-fire in the immediate future.
The Associated Press contributed.