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May 23, 2021
Secretary Blinken on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during an appearance on CNN’s “GPS with Fareed Zakaria,” talked about the U.S. role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Secretary Blinken on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during an appearance on CNN’s “GPS with Fareed Zakaria,” talked about the U.S. role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Blinken: 'There has to be' a prospect for a peaceful political solution between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas
May 23, Washington (CNN) - Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted Sunday that there will eventually be a prospect for a peaceful political solution between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, saying one must come following a "critical" ceasefire declared in the region last week.
"I think there has to be. I think both sides are reminded that we have to find a way to break the cycle, because if we don't it will repeat itself at great cost," Blinken told CNN's Fareed Zakaria on "GPS" when asked if he thinks there is a prospect of some kind of movement toward a genuine political solution.
In a separate interview Sunday with ABC News, Blinken credited the Biden administration's "relentless, determined, but quiet diplomacy" in the region, saying it's "what got us to where we needed to be."
The comments come several days after Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed to a ceasefire following more than a week of conflict that left hundreds dead, most of them Palestinians. Blinken, who told ABC that the ceasefire was "critical," said the US is now pivoting to "dealing with the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza."
"Then reconstruction, rebuilding what's been lost, and critically, engaging both sides in trying to start to make real improvements ... so that Israelis and Palestinians can live with equal measures of security of peace and of dignity," he told the network... more
May 23, Washington (CNN) - Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted Sunday that there will eventually be a prospect for a peaceful political solution between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, saying one must come following a "critical" ceasefire declared in the region last week.
"I think there has to be. I think both sides are reminded that we have to find a way to break the cycle, because if we don't it will repeat itself at great cost," Blinken told CNN's Fareed Zakaria on "GPS" when asked if he thinks there is a prospect of some kind of movement toward a genuine political solution.
In a separate interview Sunday with ABC News, Blinken credited the Biden administration's "relentless, determined, but quiet diplomacy" in the region, saying it's "what got us to where we needed to be."
The comments come several days after Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed to a ceasefire following more than a week of conflict that left hundreds dead, most of them Palestinians. Blinken, who told ABC that the ceasefire was "critical," said the US is now pivoting to "dealing with the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza."
"Then reconstruction, rebuilding what's been lost, and critically, engaging both sides in trying to start to make real improvements ... so that Israelis and Palestinians can live with equal measures of security of peace and of dignity," he told the network... more
Fareed: No practical reason for Israel to make deal with Palestinians
May 23, 2021
CNN's Fareed Zakaria says now that Israel is now the economic and military superpower in the Middle East, Israeli leaders have no practical reason to make a deal with Palestinians ... but do have a moral one.
May 23, 2021
CNN's Fareed Zakaria says now that Israel is now the economic and military superpower in the Middle East, Israeli leaders have no practical reason to make a deal with Palestinians ... but do have a moral one.
Bernie Sanders Says 'Tone Down the Rhetoric' Amid Israeli-Palestinian Tensions, Rising Antisemitism
May 23 - Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said the primary role of the United States in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to "lead the way to a peaceful future for both" groups of people, and not to provide unilateral military spending and divisive rhetoric.
Speaking with moderator John Dickerson on CBS News' Face the Nation Sunday, Sanders said recent domestic U.S. attacks on Jewish people in the wake of the renewed Middle East conflict are caused in part from "being increasingly divided by right-wing extremists."
"Antisemitism is rising in America," said the senator. "It's rising all over the world. That is an outrage. And we have got to combat antisemitism. We have to combat the increase in hate crimes in this country, against Asians, against African-Americans, against Latinos."
"There are a number of liberals who use the word 'apartheid' to describe Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, a number of them liberals in the House who use that language," said Dickerson. "The executive director of the American Jewish Congress, who handled Jewish outreach for your campaign, has said that that word, Joel Rubin, has said that using that word has increased the level of vitriol that has contributed to this antisemitism. Do you think those who share your view should not use that kind of language?"
"I think we should tone down the rhetoric. I think our goal is very simple: it is to understand that what's going on in Gaza today is unsustainable. When you have 70 percent of the young people unemployed, when people cannot leave the community, when hospitals and wastewater plants have been destroyed — that is unsustainable," Sanders said.
"You have a very difficult situation. You have Hamas, a terrorist group. You have a right-wing Israeli government and the situation is getting worse. And all I'm saying is that the United States of America has got to be leading the world in bringing people together, not simply supplying weapons to kill children in Gaza"... more
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May 23 - Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said the primary role of the United States in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is to "lead the way to a peaceful future for both" groups of people, and not to provide unilateral military spending and divisive rhetoric.
Speaking with moderator John Dickerson on CBS News' Face the Nation Sunday, Sanders said recent domestic U.S. attacks on Jewish people in the wake of the renewed Middle East conflict are caused in part from "being increasingly divided by right-wing extremists."
"Antisemitism is rising in America," said the senator. "It's rising all over the world. That is an outrage. And we have got to combat antisemitism. We have to combat the increase in hate crimes in this country, against Asians, against African-Americans, against Latinos."
"There are a number of liberals who use the word 'apartheid' to describe Israel's treatment of the Palestinians, a number of them liberals in the House who use that language," said Dickerson. "The executive director of the American Jewish Congress, who handled Jewish outreach for your campaign, has said that that word, Joel Rubin, has said that using that word has increased the level of vitriol that has contributed to this antisemitism. Do you think those who share your view should not use that kind of language?"
"I think we should tone down the rhetoric. I think our goal is very simple: it is to understand that what's going on in Gaza today is unsustainable. When you have 70 percent of the young people unemployed, when people cannot leave the community, when hospitals and wastewater plants have been destroyed — that is unsustainable," Sanders said.
"You have a very difficult situation. You have Hamas, a terrorist group. You have a right-wing Israeli government and the situation is getting worse. And all I'm saying is that the United States of America has got to be leading the world in bringing people together, not simply supplying weapons to kill children in Gaza"... more
Related Articles:
May 23, 2021
Senator Sanders on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), during an appearance on CBS' “Face The Nation,” talked about the role of the U.S. in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Senator Sanders on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), during an appearance on CBS' “Face The Nation,” talked about the role of the U.S. in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Bernie Sanders urges "even-handed" U.S. approach to Israel and Palestinians
May 23, 2021
Senator Bernie Sanders says the U.S. "has got to develop an even-handed approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
May 23, 2021
Senator Bernie Sanders says the U.S. "has got to develop an even-handed approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
The Gaza–Israel conflict is a part of the localized Israeli–Palestinian conflict, but is also a scene of power struggle between regional powers including Egypt, Iran and Turkey together with Qatar, supporting different sides of the conflict in light of the regional standoff between Iran and Saudi Arabia[20] on one hand and between Qatar and Saudi Arabia on the other, as well as crisis in Egyptian-Turkish relations.[21]
The conflict originated with the election of the Islamist political party Hamas in 2005[22] and 2006[23] in the Gaza Strip and escalated with the split of the Palestinian Authority Palestinian government into the Fatah government in the West Bank and the Hamas government in Gaza and the following violent ousting of Fatah after Fatah lost the election to Hamas. Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel,[24] Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, and the joint Egyptian-Israeli blockade of Gaza have exacerbated the conflict. The international community considers indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian structures that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets illegal under international law.[25][26]
As part of its 2005 disengagement plan, Israel retained exclusive control over Gaza's airspace and territorial waters, continued to patrol and monitor the external land perimeter of the Gaza Strip, with the exception of its southernmost border (where Egypt retained control of the border and border crossings were supervised by European monitors) and continued to monitor and blockade Gaza's coastline. Israel largely provides and controls Gaza's water supply, electricity and communications infrastructure.[27][28] According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, Israel remains an occupying power under international law.[29] The United Nations has stated that under resolutions of both the General Assembly and the Security Council, it regards Gaza to be part of the "Occupied Palestinian Territories".[30] Meanwhile, the Fatah government in the West Bank, internationally recognized as the sole representative of the State of Palestine, refers to the Gaza Strip as part of the Palestinian state and does not recognize the Hamas government. from Wikipedia
The conflict originated with the election of the Islamist political party Hamas in 2005[22] and 2006[23] in the Gaza Strip and escalated with the split of the Palestinian Authority Palestinian government into the Fatah government in the West Bank and the Hamas government in Gaza and the following violent ousting of Fatah after Fatah lost the election to Hamas. Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel,[24] Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, and the joint Egyptian-Israeli blockade of Gaza have exacerbated the conflict. The international community considers indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian structures that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets illegal under international law.[25][26]
As part of its 2005 disengagement plan, Israel retained exclusive control over Gaza's airspace and territorial waters, continued to patrol and monitor the external land perimeter of the Gaza Strip, with the exception of its southernmost border (where Egypt retained control of the border and border crossings were supervised by European monitors) and continued to monitor and blockade Gaza's coastline. Israel largely provides and controls Gaza's water supply, electricity and communications infrastructure.[27][28] According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, Israel remains an occupying power under international law.[29] The United Nations has stated that under resolutions of both the General Assembly and the Security Council, it regards Gaza to be part of the "Occupied Palestinian Territories".[30] Meanwhile, the Fatah government in the West Bank, internationally recognized as the sole representative of the State of Palestine, refers to the Gaza Strip as part of the Palestinian state and does not recognize the Hamas government. from Wikipedia
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (right) and South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong talks during a joint press conference of the two countries' leaders at the White House in Washington on Friday.
US ready to engage with North Korea: Blinken
May 24 - The US has put the diplomatic ball in Pyongyang’s court, with its Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressing that Washington is prepared to engage with North Korea to discuss denuclearization, but it remains uncertain whether the reclusive regime will respond.
“We are waiting to see if Pyongyang actually wants to engage. The ball is in their court,” Blinken said in an interview with ABC on Sunday, adding that Washington is prepared to pursue diplomacy with the North even as the sanctions remain in place.
Blinken’s remarks come after US President Joe Biden’s summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday. At the meeting Biden demonstrated a clear willingness to engage in dialogue with Pyongyang toward the goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and said he would meet the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, under the right conditions.
The top diplomat echoed Biden’s stance that the best chance of achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was to “engage diplomatically with North Korea on a deliberate, calibrated approach where we seek to make progress toward that goal”... more
US ready to engage with North Korea: Blinken
May 24 - The US has put the diplomatic ball in Pyongyang’s court, with its Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressing that Washington is prepared to engage with North Korea to discuss denuclearization, but it remains uncertain whether the reclusive regime will respond.
“We are waiting to see if Pyongyang actually wants to engage. The ball is in their court,” Blinken said in an interview with ABC on Sunday, adding that Washington is prepared to pursue diplomacy with the North even as the sanctions remain in place.
Blinken’s remarks come after US President Joe Biden’s summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Friday. At the meeting Biden demonstrated a clear willingness to engage in dialogue with Pyongyang toward the goal of the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and said he would meet the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, under the right conditions.
The top diplomat echoed Biden’s stance that the best chance of achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was to “engage diplomatically with North Korea on a deliberate, calibrated approach where we seek to make progress toward that goal”... more
Biden Swipes at Trump, Says He Won't Give Kim Jong Un 'International Recognition'
May 22 - President Joe Biden appeared to criticize his immediate predecessor, former President Donald Trump, on Friday while discussing the approach his administration planned to take on North Korea.
Biden gave a joint press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and said he wanted to achieve "total denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea, a dictatorship led by Kim Jong Un, is a nuclear power.
The president said he wouldn't meet with Kim unless the North Korean leader made a commitment to discuss the nuclear weapons issue. Former President Trump met with Kim three times.
"If there was a commitment on which we met, then I would meet with [him]," Biden said.
"And the commitment has to be that there is discussion about his nuclear arsenal."
Biden then seemed to contrast his approach with Trump's and critique the former president's decision to meet with Kim.
"What I would not do is what has been done in the recent past," Biden said.
"I would not give him all he's looking for, international recognition as legitimate, and give him what allowed him to move in a direction of appearing to be more serious about what he wasn't at all serious about."
Trump first met Kim in Singapore in June 2018, becoming the first serving U.S. president to do so. He held summit meetings with Kim on two further occasions, in Hanoi in February 2019 and on the Korean Peninsula itself in June 2019... more
May 22 - President Joe Biden appeared to criticize his immediate predecessor, former President Donald Trump, on Friday while discussing the approach his administration planned to take on North Korea.
Biden gave a joint press conference with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and said he wanted to achieve "total denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea, a dictatorship led by Kim Jong Un, is a nuclear power.
The president said he wouldn't meet with Kim unless the North Korean leader made a commitment to discuss the nuclear weapons issue. Former President Trump met with Kim three times.
"If there was a commitment on which we met, then I would meet with [him]," Biden said.
"And the commitment has to be that there is discussion about his nuclear arsenal."
Biden then seemed to contrast his approach with Trump's and critique the former president's decision to meet with Kim.
"What I would not do is what has been done in the recent past," Biden said.
"I would not give him all he's looking for, international recognition as legitimate, and give him what allowed him to move in a direction of appearing to be more serious about what he wasn't at all serious about."
Trump first met Kim in Singapore in June 2018, becoming the first serving U.S. president to do so. He held summit meetings with Kim on two further occasions, in Hanoi in February 2019 and on the Korean Peninsula itself in June 2019... more
ADMOR
Former GOP senator: Trump absolutely bears responsibility for Capitol riot
Ex-Trump ambassador says former President 'absolutely' bears responsibility for January 6 riot
May 23 - Washington (CNN)A former Republican senator and member of Donald Trump's administration said Sunday that he thinks the ex-President bears some responsibility for the Capitol insurrection and that his presidency was "diminished" as a result of the deadly attack.
"Absolutely, I mean he bears responsibility. I think his presidency was diminished as a result of this, and I think he's paying a price. He's been impeached twice. He was impeached for those actions," said former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, who served as Trump's ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, of his former boss to CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union."
Brown, who said some of Trump's foreign policy accomplishments and his response to the coronavirus pandemic "are by the wayside now" following the riot, told Bash that he supports an independent commission to investigate the events surrounding the attack."To have a commission like this to find out who was responsible, what went wrong, to make sure it never happens again, it should be a no-brainer," he said. more
Ex-Trump ambassador says former President 'absolutely' bears responsibility for January 6 riot
May 23 - Washington (CNN)A former Republican senator and member of Donald Trump's administration said Sunday that he thinks the ex-President bears some responsibility for the Capitol insurrection and that his presidency was "diminished" as a result of the deadly attack.
"Absolutely, I mean he bears responsibility. I think his presidency was diminished as a result of this, and I think he's paying a price. He's been impeached twice. He was impeached for those actions," said former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, who served as Trump's ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, of his former boss to CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union."
Brown, who said some of Trump's foreign policy accomplishments and his response to the coronavirus pandemic "are by the wayside now" following the riot, told Bash that he supports an independent commission to investigate the events surrounding the attack."To have a commission like this to find out who was responsible, what went wrong, to make sure it never happens again, it should be a no-brainer," he said. more
May 24 - The Biden presidency and top Democrats suddenly face a moment of truth with an audacious nation-changing agenda imperiled by the treacherous political math of divided Washington and stiff resistance by pro-Trump Republicans.
A crucial phase is now unfolding with President Joe Biden's plans to redefine the concept of infrastructure, with huge government social spending, slowed by stumbling bipartisan talks with the GOP. Hopes of a sweeping voting reform law to counter Republican efforts in the states to restrict access to the ballot have no clear path forward in the Senate. A bipartisan drive for a relatively modest tightening of background checks for some gun buyers is at risk of fizzling. The best chance for a headline-grabbing win may be intense talks on police reform between Republican Sen. Tim Scott and two top Democrats. But hopes that a deal could happen before the anniversary of George Floyd's death this week have faded. And the President is yet to unveil expected efforts to tackle immigration reform and climate change -- two highly divisive policy areas.
Biden is trying to capitalize on the perception among Democrats that after a once-in-a-century pandemic and grave economic crisis, the country is ready for a fundamental shift in attitude toward ambitious government solutions.
But the reality of a 50-50 Senate means he cannot even guarantee all of his own party is on side with his biggest goals.
Republicans, still in thrall to ex-President Donald Trump, have already shifted to a war path to the 2022 midterm elections. This week in the Senate they are expected to block a bipartisan, independent commission into the January 6 Capitol insurrection. The move would further enshrine the turn by a party that once boasted it won the Cold War against totalitarian communism away from safeguarding democracy in its own country... more
Israel and Hamas both claim victory, while Palestinians pick up the pieces in Gaza
May 24, 2021
Aid shipments are arriving in Gaza, where fighting between Israel and Hamas stopped Friday following a cease-fire deal. CBS News correspondent Holly Williams reports on the ground in Gaza where the reconstruction effort is expected to take years. Later, Foreign Policy magazine columnist Elise Labott joins CBSN's Lana Zak with analysis of the Biden administration's first major foreign policy test.
May 24, 2021
Aid shipments are arriving in Gaza, where fighting between Israel and Hamas stopped Friday following a cease-fire deal. CBS News correspondent Holly Williams reports on the ground in Gaza where the reconstruction effort is expected to take years. Later, Foreign Policy magazine columnist Elise Labott joins CBSN's Lana Zak with analysis of the Biden administration's first major foreign policy test.
