US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken vowed to maintain relations with Israel after a rare public spat between the two allies over “judicial reform” legislation that led to massive protests.
Blinken tweeted: “I spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen. We discussed the importance of our bilateral relationship, efforts to advance normalization, and our commitment to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons,” emphasizing that “the United States remains committed to a two-state solution.”
Today I spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Cohen. We discussed the importance of our bilateral relationship, efforts to advance normalization, and our commitment to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The United States remains committed to the two-state solution.
— Secretary Anthony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 31, 2023
In turn, US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that Blinken called Cohen and “confirmed the importance of maintaining bilateral relations between the US and Israel. He stressed the importance of refraining from unilateral measures that exacerbate tensions.”
This week, US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bickered over proposed reforms to the judiciary by the Israeli government.
Biden reiterated that he had no intention of inviting Netanyahu to visit the White House in the near future, stressing that Israel “cannot continue down this path” through the controversial judicial amendment bill.
For his part, Netanyahu rejected Biden’s claims and tweeted that “Israel is a sovereign state that makes its decisions according to the will of its people, and not based on pressure from abroad, including from best friends.”
Source: i24+RT