US top diplomat to travel to Egypt, Israel, West Bank

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Egypt, Israel and the West Bank later this week, the State Department announced on Thursday.

Blinken will visit Cairo, Egypt from Jan. 29-30 to sit down with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, and senior Egyptian officials.

He will use those meetings "to advance the U.S.-Egypt strategic partnership and promote peace and security in the region, including through shared support for elections in Libya and the ongoing Sudanese-led political process," spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

Blinken will then travel to Jerusalem and Ramallah from Jan. 30-31 to meet senior Israeli and Palestinian officials.

He will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, and other senior officials in Jerusalem "to discuss the enduring U.S. support for Israel’s security, particularly against threats from Iran."

"The Secretary will also discuss Israel’s deepening integration into the region, Israeli-Palestinian relations and the importance of a two-state solution, and a range of other global and regional issues," said Price.

In Ramallah, the top diplomat will meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and other senior officials "to discuss Israeli-Palestinian relations and the importance of a two-state solution, political reforms, and further strengthening the U.S. relationship with the Palestinian people and leadership," the department said.

"With both Israeli and Palestinian leaders, the Secretary will underscore the urgent need for the parties to take steps to deescalate tensions in order to put an end to the cycle of violence that has claimed too many innocent lives. He also will discuss the importance of upholding the historic status quo the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount in Jerusalem, in words and in actions," it added.

The comments come after Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, vowed to visit the holy site again after he toured it on Jan. 3, just five days after Netanyahu's new government was sworn in.

The visit triggered a storm of condemnations from countries around the world, including the US, Jordan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Ben-Gvir holds far-right views on the Palestinians and has called for their displacement. He has repeatedly joined Israeli settlers in storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in East Jerusalem.

The far-right politician had also caused a wave of escalation in occupied East Jerusalem after setting up an office in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was previously the site of two Jewish temples.

Under Jerusalem's internationally-recognized status quo, Jews are allowed to visit the compound but not pray, but in recent years, Israeli settlers have repeatedly been seen performing prayer rituals inside the compound.