By MATTHEW LEE, AP Diplomatic Author
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a last-minute case Tuesday for a plan for the post-war reconstruction and governance of Gaza as a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas seems tantalizingly near completion.
Blinken touted the proposal, which has been within the works for a 12 months, and mentioned the significance of guaranteeing its success after the Biden administration leaves workplace in a speech to the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based assume tank.
“We have a responsibility to ensure that the strategic gains of the last 15 months endure and lay the foundation for a better future,” Blinken mentioned. “All too often, in the Middle East, we’ve seen how the shoes of one dictator can be filled by another, or give way to conflict and chaos.”
Blinken mentioned the plan, which he has referenced previously, envisions the Palestinian Authority inviting “international partners” to face up an interim governing authority to run important companies and oversee the territory. Different companions, notably Arab states, would supply forces to make sure safety within the quick time period, he mentioned.
That safety mission would depend upon a pathway to an unbiased Palestinian state unifying Gaza and the West Financial institution and can be tasked with creating “a secure environment for humanitarian and reconstruction efforts and ensuring border security,” Blinken mentioned. A Palestinian state, which Israel has refused, has been a sticking level.
On the similar time, the U.S. would lead a brand new initiative to coach, equip and vet a Palestinian-led safety drive for Gaza to deal with regulation and order that might take over from the interim mission, he mentioned.
Blinken and his high aides have spent months making an attempt to promote Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Gulf Arab nations on the plan, which outlines how Gaza can be run with out Hamas accountable for the territory that has been devastated by a warfare that started in October 2023 after the group’s assault inside Israel. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist group by the US, Canada and the European Union.
These efforts initially met with resistance, with Israel objecting to requires its full withdrawal from Gaza and the Palestinian Authority taking a lead position in governance in addition to Arab nations insisting {that a} ceasefire needed to be sealed earlier than dialogue of a “day after” plan.
However throughout a number of journeys to the area since final January, Blinken managed to get the Gulf Arab states, lots of which might be requested to pay for reconstruction, on board with making ready the proposal.
Blinken’s speech Tuesday was interrupted a number of occasions by protesters, who shouted that he was complicit in what they alleged had been Israeli warfare crimes, calling him “secretary of genocide” and vowing that he can be held accountable for signing off on weapons shipments to Israel. The protests had been transient and Blinken appeared unfazed.
America’s high diplomat criticized Israel for not doing sufficient to rein in anti-Palestinian violence within the West Financial institution, withholding tax income from the Palestinian Authority and opposing any vital future position for the West Financial institution management in Gaza. He additionally took the PA to process for resisting longstanding calls for for reforms that it has solely lately begun to embrace.
“The PA will need to carry out swift, far-reaching reform to build more transparent, accountable governance, continuing a process that it began last year. Israel will have to accept reuniting Gaza in the West Bank under the leadership of a reformed PA,” he mentioned.
Blinken additionally lined different areas of the administration’s Center East coverage. He praised the U.S. and others for coming to Israel’s protection throughout two unprecedented missile assaults from Iran and careworn that a number of American administrations from each political events have vowed by no means to permit Iran to develop nuclear weapons.
In the meantime, the prospect of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia “is the best incentive to get the parties to make tough decisions necessary to fully realize the aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians,” Blinken mentioned.
The urgency of retaining the post-war Gaza plan alive even with out a ceasefire turned extra intense after the November election of President-elect Donald Trump. U.S. officers have introduced Trump aides into the discussions over the previous month to get their buy-in on the plan, which would require vital American involvement throughout Trump’s presidency.
One concern was that the plan is perhaps deserted by Trump’s group in a similar way to the way in which former President George W. Bush’s administration tossed apart a U.S.-backed proposal for a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq that was crafted whereas Invoice Clinton was within the White Home.
That detailed, multi-volume plan designed to stop Iraq from falling into chaos within the occasion of Saddam’s ouster was the results of the “Future of Iraq” challenge that was began after Congress known as for regime change in Iraq whereas Clinton was in workplace.
Initially Printed: January 14, 2025 at 11:26 AM EST
