Blinken, Abbas Hold 'Tense' Meeting in Ramallah

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during their meeting in Ramallah that the Washington supports "tangible measures" for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

Blinked stressed that the Palestinian Authority (PA) needs to make reforms in governmental and security structures for effective governance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the future.

Palestinian sources confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Blinken focused on reforms but was met with a barrage of difficult questions.

The Palestinian side was adamant about addressing the war in Gaza, Washington's role in stopping it, post-war plans, Gaza governance, ongoing conflicts in the West Bank, settler violence, Israeli plans to displace the Palestinians, and the fate of PA frozen funds in Tel Aviv.

According to the sources, Blinken was questioned about the funds held by Israel and how Washington could enforce its vision on more challenging issues if it couldn't secure the release of those funds, which caused tension in the meeting because it reflected Palestinian officials' skepticism about Washington's ability to implement its stated goals in the future

The relationship between the PA and the US administration became tense because of Washington's position on the war, disagreements about reform, and dealing with post-war phase.

Abbas stressed the need to immediately stop the genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, so that a political solution based on international legitimacy could be implemented, starting with the State of Palestine gaining full UN membership.

He also called for an international peace conference to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital, which achieves peace and security for all.

The Palestinian President warned of the Israeli measures aimed at displacing Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, including Jerusalem, following statements issued by Israeli ministers and officials, which call for the expulsion of the Palestinian people from their land.

He stressed the complete rejection of the displacement of any Palestinian citizen, whether in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, adding that "we will not allow it to happen."

Abbas reiterated that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the Palestinian state, noting that it is not possible to accept or deal with the plans of the occupation authorities to separate it or cut off any part of it.

Palestinian funds must be released immediately, because their withholding violates agreements and international law, noted the President.

In return, Blinken tried to explain the US plan based on launching a post-war political path, aiming to establish a Palestinian state and normalization with more Arab countries.

He informed Abbas that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that there would be no displacement of Gazans while discussions continued regarding the day after the war with the Israelis and regional leaders.

The Secretary indicated Washington ultimately wanted a "qualified Palestinian authority" to rule the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

- Arab Peace Initiative

The US is said to be floating the Arab Peace Initiative that Saudi Arabia sponsored more than 20 years ago as a possible framework to end the war against Hamas in Gaza.

Israeli Channel 12 reported, citing a source, that Washington is floating the Arab Peace Initiative that Saudi Arabia sponsored more than 20 years ago as a possible framework to end the war against Hamas in Gaza.

The 2002 initiative offers Israel normalized ties with the entire Arab world once it reaches a two-state solution to its conflict with the Palestinians.

The report stated that the Biden administration says such an agreement would be in the interests of the United States, Israel, and the region's countries.

Blinken told the Israelis that they must move towards a diplomatic horizon and that images and footage of the war in Gaza are leading to "radicalization" in Mideast countries.

He asked Israeli officials to stop harming civilians and move entirely to the third stage, release the Palestinians' money, and develop a plan for the day after the war.

Israel has refused to hand over the Gaza Strip to the Authority so far and is seeking to form local bodies to manage civil affairs while retaining security responsibility.

In Tel Aviv, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich told Blinken that Israel will always act according to the Israeli interest.

"Therefore we will continue to fight with all our strength to destroy Hamas," Smotrich stated.

- Smotrich Challenges Washington

Smotrich rejected calls to release withheld tax revenues and frozen funds to transfer money to the Palestinian Authority.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said that Smotrich's rejection of the US request is a blatant challenge to the administration to translate its positions into tangible actions.

The Ministry said in a statement that the extremist Smotrich brags about supporting settlement and the terrorism and crimes of the settlers.

It said the Israeli far-right minister does not recognize the rights of Palestinians and steals their lands, describing him as a staunch enemy of peace.

The Ministry wondered if Washington would be able to force Israel to protect civilians and revive the peace process if it can't force Tel Aviv to release the Palestinian-frozen funds.

An Israeli military official said on Thursday that some 1,000 reserve and retired pilots who signed a petition calling for securing the return of captives from Gaza at the cost of ending the war, would be dismissed from the air force.

“With the full backing of the chief of the General Staff, the commander of the Israeli Airforce has decided that any active reservist who signed the letter will not be able to continue serving in the Israeli military,” the official told AFP.

Nearly 1,000 Israeli retired and reservist fighter pilots called in an open letter on Thursday for the government to prioritize freeing the remaining hostages held in Gaza, even if that meant halting the war against Hamas.

According to the Israeli Yediot Ahronoth newspaper, the pilots’ letter read, “At this time, the war serves primarily political and personal interests, not security ones.”

It added, “Continuation of the war doesn’t advance any of the declared goals of the war, and will bring about the deaths of the hostages, of Israeli soldiers and innocent civilians, while further eroding the strength of the reserve forces.”

The newspaper said prior to that, several fighters met with Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar and Israeli army Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir to prevent the letter’s publication.

Bar, backed by Zamir, then decided that active reserve service members who signed the letter cannot continue to serve, although they claim that this is a protest against the government and not against the army.

Responding to the letter, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz slammed the reservists who signed it, saying: “I strongly reject the letter by the Air Force reservists and the attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the just war that the Israeli army is leading in Gaza for the return of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas.”

He added, “I trust the judgment of the chief of staff and the Air Force commander and am convinced that they will handle this unacceptable phenomenon in the most appropriate way.”

Last March, two Israeli soldiers, including an army intelligence officer and a pilot, were dismissed after they refused to serve in protest of the renewal of fighting in Gaza.

According to Israeli reports, those incidents were seen by the Israeli army as isolated cases, but a number of senior officials were reportedly concerned that refusal to serve could become a larger phenomenon among reservists.

The two soldiers, Air force combat navigator Alon Gur and military intelligence officer, Mikhael Mayer, said in social media posts that their decision to refuse to participate in the ongoing military operations in Gaza is in protest to the Israeli government’s policies. Their statements had sparked debate and highlighted internal tensions within the Israeli armed forces.

The history of Israeli warfare suggests that large-scale insurgencies at the army began with individual cases.

During the first Lebanon war in 1982, Eli Geva, an Israeli brigade commander had refused to lead his forces into Beirut for moral reasons which he termed “endangerment of both soldiers and civilians in urban warfare.” Geva was therefore dismissed from the Army. He then founded the movement “There is a Limit” that raised the slogan of refusing to serve in occupied territories.

Blinken, Abbas Hold 'Tense' Meeting in Ramallah