U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday seemed to level veiled criticism of the Israeli government's charge to enact far-reaching judicial reforms that have stirred broad public backlash and called to build a consensus around the move.
In a joint statement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a one-on-one meeting at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, Blinken spoke at length about the "shared interests and shared values" between the countries before listing off a host of democratic values such as equal administration of justice, minority rights, the rule of law, freedom of the press and others.
"The vibrancy of Israel's civil society has been on full display of late," he said in an apparent reference to recent mass demonstrations against the government's proposed overhaul of the judiciary.
"The commitment of people in both our countries to make their voices heard to defend their rights is one of the unique strengths of our democracies. Another is a recognition that building consensus for new proposals is the most effective way to ensure they’re embraced and that they endure."
Coming off a series of recent drone strikes in Iran attributed to Israel's Mossad, Netanyahu vowed the Jewish state would do all that is required to prevent Iran from developing nuclear capabilities, as well as the means to deliver a nuclear warhead, possibly referring to Iran's attempt to develop hypersonic missiles in Isfahan which are capable of circumventing most air defense systems in existence.
"Your visit comes at an important time," Netanyahu said to Blinken at their joint press conference. "It's a time where most of the international community have seen the true face of Iran, have seen the barbarism of this regime against its own people. They've seen how it exports aggression beyond its border."
This is Blinken's first visit to Israel since the establishment of Netanyahu's new government and comes following a visit to Cairo in which Washington's top diplomat met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. He is later scheduled to me with opposition leader Yair Lapid and President Isaac Herzog. Blinken will then travel to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Blinken condemned the string of terrorist attacks that hit Jerusalem and left seven people dead while urging both Israel and the Palestinians to deescalate tensions.
"Seven people were killed in Friday's terrorist attack in Neve Ya'akov. Most were leaving the synagogue after prayer. We express our most heartfelt condolences to the families of those whose lives were lost," he said.
"Taking innocent lives in an act of terror is always a heinous crime, but doing so outside their place of worship is especially shocking.
The attacks on Saturday were more than attacks against individuals. There were attacks on the freedom of worship. We condemn it in the strongest of terms. We condemn all those who celebrated after these attacks.
Calling for vengeance against other innocents is never the answer and is never justified. Everyone shares the responsibility to take steps to stem the tide of violence and to strive for a day where people won't feel apprehension in their own communities. It's the only way to stop the wave of violence that has cost too many Israeli and Palestinian lives."
Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who welcomed Blinken on the tarmac upon his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport earlier Monday, spoke to him about the importance of expanding the Abraham Accords to include more Arab nations and reminded him of the Iranian threat.
"The alliance between our nations is one of the pillars of Israel's national security and its foreign relations," Cohen said. "The secretary's visit is an important event and quite meaningful to our relations and I thank the secretary of state for the Unites States' commitment to regional security."