Michael Gabriel Hernandez
23 February 2021•Update: 23 February 2021
WASHINGTON
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the importance of a two-state solution for Israeli-Palestinian peace during a phone call Monday with his Israeli counterpart.
During his call with Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, Blinken "addressed the US approach towards a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future for Israelis, Palestinians, and the greater Middle East," the State Department said.
"The Secretary also emphasized the Biden Administration's belief that the two-state solution is the best way to ensure Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state, living in peace alongside a viable and democratic Palestinian state," spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
The call is the second between the top diplomats since Blinken assumed office last month early on in the Biden administration.
During former US President Donald Trump's four-year term, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu worked at upending long-held pillars of the two-state solution to achieve peace with the Palestinians in tandem with Trump, who moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and declared the disputed city Israel's capital.
Trump also issued an Israel-Palestinian peace plan that heavily favored Israel's demands, carved up much of the West Bank, and left little territory for a future Palestinian state while maintaining all of Israel's settlements, which are illegal under international law.
