U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel for a visit on the 8th. The Times of Israel reported on the 9th, citing Israel's Channel 12, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a long one-on-one meeting with Blinken on the same day, and the atmosphere was "tense".
Netanyahu (right) meets with Blinken (left) in Tel Aviv on January 9. Source: The Times of Israel
According to the report, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office has not yet issued a statement on the meeting as usual, which may indicate that there are differences between the two sides on relevant issues.
The report also quoted Israel's Channel 12 as revealing that the differences between the United States and Israel on the prospects of the current round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict are gradually widening, and Washington is losing patience.
According to the Times of Israel and others, Netanyahu held a private meeting with Blinken on the 9th. Blinken told Netanyahu that his forces must avoid further harm to civilians in Gaza, the United States said. In addition, before Blinken's arrival in Israel, he also visited several countries in the Middle East. Before leaving for Israel, he said he "will put pressure on Netanyahu" and said that Israel "absolutely needs to do more to protect civilians and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches those who need it." NBC said on the 9th that a number of senior U.S. diplomatic sources and Congress** revealed that Blinken was warned by Middle East leaders during his diplomatic trip, and anti-American sentiment in the region is growing because the United States supports Israel. Middle Eastern leaders told Blinken that the rising civilian death toll in Gaza has fueled anger.
According to the Times of Israel, the background of Blinken's visit to Israel is that Biden has increased pressure on Israel to reduce the intensity of military action against Hamas. In response to the pressure exerted by the United States, the Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel, Ben-Gvir, publicly counterattacked. He shouted to Blinken in a post on the social platform X on the 9th, saying that "now is not the time to whisper to Hamas, but to use a big stick."
*: Global Network.