Blinken, Bennett Meet in Jerusalem Ahead of Negev Summit of Foreign Ministers

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met in Jerusalem on Sunday and discussed a range of topics, including Israel’s attempts to mediate between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, negotiations over a renewed Iran nuclear deal, the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, and the strengthening of the Abraham Accords and Israel’s relations with other countries in the region. Bennett told Blinken that Israel opposed removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations. Blinken arrived in Israel on Saturday night, ahead of the historic summit of Middle East foreign ministers in the southern Israeli city of Sde Boker, which will be hosted by Israel’s Foreign Minister Yair Lapid. The Negev Summit, which begins Sunday evening, will include, in addition to Blinken and Lapid, the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Egypt, and will focus on the threat from Iran. Blinken reportedly will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during his visit.