Blinken Warns Israel’s New Foreign Minister on Policies That Endanger 2-State Solution

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in a phone call to congratulate him on his new position that the US is still committed to its “partnership” with Israel and to Israel’s security, but he emphasized that the US remains committed to a two-state solution and would oppose any new government “policies that endanger its viability,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said. Blinken also discussed “continued US efforts to advance mutual interests such as Israel’s further regional integration, including through the Negev Forum; address shared challenges, including the threat from Iran; and promote the values that have been at the heart of the bilateral relationship for decades,” Price said. US national security adviser Jake Sullivan reportedly will visit Jerusalem next month for meetings with senior members of the new Israeli government, while Axios reports that Blinken likely will follow with a visit of his own in February.

Meanwhile, Cohen found himself under attack from Republican US Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Israel’s staunchest supporters in Congress, for failing to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The criticism comes after Cohen announced that he would speak with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Tuesday and said of Israel’s position on Russia vis-à-vis Ukraine that “one thing for certain is that we will talk less about it in public.” In response, Graham tweeted: “I’m glad to see Mr. Cohen, the new Israeli foreign minister, is prioritizing the U.S.-Israel strategic relationship and supports continued humanitarian aid to Ukraine, however, the idea that Israel should speak less about Russia’s criminal invasion of Ukraine is a bit unnerving. I hope Mr. Cohen understands that when he speaks to Russia’s Lavrov, he’s speaking to a representative of a war criminal regime that commits war crimes on an industrial scale every day.” Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reported Tuesday, citing government sources, that Cohen was referring to the previous government’s attempts to mediate the conflict, which he says harmed Israel.