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CHICAGO: Leaders of several Arab-American organizations met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday to express concern over the escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians and demand that the Israeli government be held accountable.
More than 29 Palestinians have been killed in the past four weeks and many have been seriously injured. Several Israeli Jews were killed on Friday, reportedly by a suspected Palestinian gunman.
Blinken plans to travel to the Middle East on Sunday, January 29, and then meet with Israeli leaders on Monday and Palestinian leaders on Tuesday. He is the second member of the Biden administration to visit the region in the past two weeks. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan was there two weeks ago.
Jim Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute – AAI – one of the leaders who attended the briefing with Blinken in Washington DC, said the group pressed the secretary to impose “consequences” on the Israeli government for the violent actions that targeted Palestinian civilians.
“We were excited about the opportunity to make our views known to the secretary but the emphasis was on the need for consequences,” Zogby told Arab News.
“Absent consequences for bad behavior, Israel operates with impunity and the Palestinians lose hope. We gave specific suggestions for things they could do. Consequences are important. Israel should be made to pay for bad behavior.”
Zogby said the group also pressed Blinken on the issue of the construction in Jerusalem of the US embassy, noting that the land where the embassy is being built is owned by Palestinians, including Palestinian Americans.
In a statement, the group said Blinken’s planned trip was “upset by the recent Israeli covert military raid in Jenin that resulted in the killing of 10 Palestinians, including civilians.”
Members of the delegation expressed concern about US political goals and the situation in Palestine, not only in Jenin but also the mass expulsion of Palestinians from Masafer Yatta in the West Bank.
“The group made clear to the Secretary that the United States has a responsibility to act to restrain Israel’s aggressive behavior against the captive Palestinian people. Decades of US acquiescence to Israel’s policies of settlement expansion, land confiscation, home demolitions and a a series of other human rights violations have led to an Israeli sense of impunity and Palestinian despair, the statement said.
“If the administration is to fulfill its commitment to the equal value of Israelis and Palestinians and their right to security, prosperity and dignity, the group insisted that the secretary show firmness and determination to rein in Israeli behavior.”
Other issues raised during the meeting were Israel’s application for the US Visa Waiver Program. The program provides easy access for Israeli citizens to travel to the United States, but Arab leaders argued that Israel has made it extremely difficult for Arab-Americans to travel to Israel.
“Last year, Israel published military regulations regarding its restrictions on visitors to the West Bank, which make clear that American citizens are discriminated against when entering the West Bank if they indicate an intention to visit Palestinians. Those visiting Israelis face no similar restrictions,” the group said.
State Department Assistant Secretary Barbara Leaf provided details of Blinken’s planned trip during a briefing late Thursday.
“On January 29-30, the Secretary will travel to Cairo, where he will meet with President El-Sisi, Foreign Minister Shoukry, as well as senior Egyptian officials. During these meetings, we expect that he will underscore our commitment to continue to promote the strategic partnership we have with Egypt and working with Egypt to promote peace and security in the region, whether in support of elections in Libya or the ongoing Sudanese-led political process, or in working to ensure calm in the Gaza Strip ,” Leaf said.
“In Cairo, the Secretary will also meet with Egyptian youth leaders and Egyptian human rights defenders to underscore our commitment to human rights and our continued support for civil society and, of course, the enduring importance of people-to-people ties between our countries.”
Leaf said Blinken will travel to Jerusalem and Ramallah from January 30-31.
“In Jerusalem, he will have an opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, of course, the prime minister is only a month into his tenure as prime minister. He will also meet with the foreign minister and other senior Israeli leaders,” Leaf said.
“In these meetings, the Secretary will highlight the special nature of the 75-year bilateral relationship with Israel and our unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and democracy. He will also underscore America’s commitment to countering the continuing spectrum of threats such as Iran pose against Israel, the United States and the greater region, and ensure that Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon.”
Other groups represented at the meeting along with AAI were AMIDEAST, the Palestinian American Congress, the Arab Center of Washington DC and the Al-Bireh Society.