April 30, 2024 (EIRNS)—Secretary of State Antony Blinken spent the day in Riyadh yesterday, trying to convince everyone he spoke to that the U.S. is seeking peace in Gaza and that Hamas should accept the “generous offer” being made by Israel for a truce. Blinken’s meetings included the following:
• a meeting with Arab foreign ministers who were in town for the World Economic Forum meeting. Blinken “reaffirmed the United States’ support for efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region, including through a pathway to a Palestinian state with security assurances for Israel,” reported the State Department readout.
• a separate meeting with Saudi Prime Minister Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. He and Blinken “discussed ongoing efforts to achieve lasting regional peace and security, including through greater integration among countries in the region and enhanced bilateral cooperation between the United States and Saudi Arabia.” In other words, they discussed Israeli-Saudi normalization within the context of U.S. efforts to create a NATO-like alliance against Iran. But, of course, Tehran and Riyadh re-established relations in an arrangement brokered by China on March 10, 2023.
• a separate meeting with Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. “The Secretary thanked the Prime Minister for the central role Qatar has undertaken in these endeavors and emphasized the need for Hamas to accept the significant proposal that is on the table,” according to another State Department readout. “Secretary Blinken also underscored our shared commitment to continuing to increase and sustain the provision of life-saving humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”
