Blinken criticises settlements but stresses US support for Israel

In rare — albeit implicit — criticism of Israel, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called out Israeli policies, including settlement expansion and home demolitions, as detrimental to the two-state solution.

Still, at a news conference at the end of his trip to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories on Tuesday, Blinken reasserted Washington’s “ironclad” commitment to Israel.

“The United States is committed to working toward our enduring goal of ensuring that Palestinians and Israelis enjoy equal measures of freedom, security, opportunity, justice and dignity,” Blinken said, stressing the need for preserving the “vision” of the two-state solution.