During a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken addressed key issues surrounding the Middle East, particularly focusing on the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the potential normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and "Israel".

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham inquired about the likelihood of normalization between Saudi Arabia and "Israel". Blinken responded optimistically, acknowledging significant progress in agreements between the United States and Saudi Arabia, which he believed were "well within reach." However, he emphasized that "Israel" would need to take certain actions for the process to advance further.

Graham noted, "I've heard the statement the ball is about to be in Israel's court. Is that fair to say?" Blinken confirmed, "That's my assessment, yes."

'Hamas cannot be governing in Gaza'

On the topic of Hamas, Blinken expressed the US shared view with "Israel" that Hamas should not govern Gaza, stating, "We share Israel's view that Hamas cannot be governing in Gaza." Both Blinken and Graham agreed that Hamas must not pose a military threat to "Israel" and failed to make any remark on the 76-year-old occupation of Palestine and the more than a decade-long siege on the Gaza Strip.

Graham then questioned the sustainability of a potential Israeli military occupation of Gaza, to which Blinken succinctly replied with a "No".

When discussing the future governance of Gaza, Blinken suggested that a coalition of countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, could play an instrumental role in providing security and governance on an interim basis if necessary. Graham asked if Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was sincere about normalizing relations with "Israel", to which Blinken responded affirmatively.

Addressing the Palestinian state issue, Blinken highlighted the need for a credible, clear, and time-bound pathway towards the establishment of a Palestinian state, with necessary security guarantees for "Israel". He stated, "Day one is virtually impossible. But... getting to a state..." after Graham had asked if Blinken believed "that the Palestinian component is not the establishment of a Palestinian state on day one, but a process that may get to there?"

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Graham underscored the importance of ensuring Israeli occupation security in any normalization agreement, and Blinken agreed, stating, "The whole point of normalization, but also the whole point of the establishment of a Palestinian state, is to make sure that Israel's security is better ensured."

'We are next'

In a broader context, Graham voiced his hope to work with the administration to express strong opposition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor's actions, advocating for sanctions against the ICC to protect US interests and support allies like "Israel". He remarked, "If they do this to Israel, we are next," adding that "They tried to come after our soldiers in Afghanistan but reason prevailed."

Moreover, the Senator added, "So, at the end of the day here, what I hope to happen is that we level sanctions against the ICC for this outrage, to not only help our friends in Israel but protect ourself over time." 

Blinken reiterated the administration's commitment to ensuring the Israeli occupation's security needs and addressing humanitarian concerns in Gaza. He emphasized the importance of access, supplies, and deconfliction efforts to protect civilians and provide necessary aid amidst the ongoing genocide which US President Joe Biden had earlier denied.

"If they do this to Israel, we will be next."

Lindsey Graham warns that the U.S. could face war crimes charges and calls for sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC).pic.twitter.com/eqAsQkYmOb

— sarah (@sahouraxo) May 21, 2024

Blinken responded to Graham and explained, "Senator, we've been determined from day one to do two things. One, to make sure that Israel had what it needed to defend itself, to make sure that October 7th couldn't happen again. But also, in so doing, to look out for the protection of civilians and their needs, their humanitarian needs. And from day one, we've been pushing, pressing Israel to make sure that access was there, supplies were there, distribution was there, deconfliction was there. And that's been virtually every single day of the last eight months working on that to try to improve the conditions for those who are caught in this horrific crossfire of Hamas' making and particularly the children, the women, the innocent men who are suffering terribly every single minute of every single day."

Rafah concerns and weapons supply to 'Israel'

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin questioned the US stance on denying the use of certain military capabilities that could harm Palestinians in Gaza. Blinken clarified, "We have deep concerns and in fact, cannot support a major military operation going into Rafah absent a credible plan to protect civilians. We haven't seen such a plan."

Durbin further pressed on the humanitarian impact, highlighting the challenges in delivering aid to Gaza due to Israeli restrictions. Blinken acknowledged the issue, noting that while new infrastructure like a "temporary pier had been constructed to facilitate aid, existing access points needed to be fully operational."

Senator Chris Coons asked about the diversion of humanitarian aid and the impact of new infrastructure. Blinken confirmed ongoing efforts to ensure adequate access and distribution of supplies within Gaza, emphasizing the critical need for operational access points to address the humanitarian crisis effectively.

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