US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, said, Monday, that while the Biden administration is working to root and deepen Israel's normalization with Arab countries, this should not be at the expense of Israel reaching a solution with the Palestinians.

"A more integrated, prosperous, and stable region serves the long-term interests of Israel, our other regional partners, and the United States," Blinken said in a speech to the American Israel Public Relations Committee-AIPAC, the powerful Israeli lobby organization, which marked the 56th anniversary of Israel's occupation of all of the Palestinian territories. "But integration and normalization efforts are not a substitute for progress between Israelis and Palestinians, and they should not come at their expense. Israel's deepening relations with its partners can and should enhance the well-being of the Palestinian people and prospects for a two-state solution."

Blinken added, "This is what our diplomacy was all about at the regional meetings in Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh, with the help and support of Israel's old partners, Jordan and Egypt. This work requires that both sides stick to the commitments they made, including in these recent meetings," considering that these The talks represent critical steps to stop the violence, hopefully rebuild the strained relations, and begin the real diplomatic work necessary to resolve this conflict.

“As the president said on his trip to Israel and the West Bank last summer, a two-state solution — based on the 1967 lines, with agreed-upon trade-offs — remains the best way to achieve our goal of Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace, with each able to individual to enjoy measures of security, freedom, justice, opportunity and dignity on an equal footing.”

Blinken stressed, "We know today that the prospects for a two-state solution may seem distant. But we are committed to working with the parties to preserve the horizon of hope in the short term. This means stopping escalation, refraining from unilateral measures that increase tensions, strengthening security cooperation to confront violence, and improving security cooperation." daily life of the Palestinian people.

"Israel was founded, and our bilateral partnership is built on democratic values, which include equal access for all people to their rights. The two-state solution is vital to preserving Israel's identity as a Jewish and democratic state," Blinken said, noting that "last month, we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel." Today we celebrate 75 years of the US-Israel partnership, and today, that partnership touches every aspect of our lives, from security to business, and from energy to public health.Our relationships have served not only each other but the world - making deserts thrive, developing energy technologies "Cleanliness for tomorrow, producing vaccines, shaping the future of space exploration, and so much more. The depth and breadth of the partnership between our governments is only matched by the strength of the bonds our people share." like he said.