Blinken vows US support for Israel despite unease

WASHINGTON－US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that Washington will not shrink from its unwavering support for Israel despite stark differences with Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu and concerns the US administration may have about potential members of his incoming right-wing government.

On regional issues related to Palestine and Iran, Blinken said the United States will remain a stalwart friend of Israel even as it pursues goals that Netanyahu has opposed, including a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a restoration of the languishing 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Despite differences, the US-Israel "partnership－and all that it's produced for the people of our nations and the world－has always been underwritten by the United States' ironclad commitment to Israel's security, a commitment that has never been stronger than it is today", he said.

Blinken said the administration of US President Joe Biden would engage with Netanyahu's government based on its policies and not on personalities.

However, Blinken also warned that the US would object to policies that marginalize the Palestinians, diminish their "horizon for hope", or make a two-state resolution more difficult.

"We expect the new Israeli government to continue to work with us to advance our shared values, just as we have previous governments," he said.

"We will gauge the government by the policies it pursues rather than individual personalities. We will hold it to the mutual standards we have established in our relationship over the past seven decades."

US officials have previously expressed concerns about the possible positions in Netanyahu's government of some right-wing Israeli politicians including Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

In a separate development, Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Sunday headed to Bahrain for the first visit by an Israeli president.

'Historic step'

Before departing, Herzog gave a statement in which he said the trip was "another historic step" in the relationship between the two countries.

During the visit, Herzog will meet King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and other senior officials in the capital Manama.

Herzog expressed his hope that the visit "will bring another step toward peace".

Israel and Bahrain established relations in 2020 as part of the normalization of relations between the Jewish state and several Arab countries.

Herzog will also travel to the United Arab Emirates to meet with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to the statement from the Israeli President's Office.

Agencies - Xinhua