Former US secretary of state criticizes decision to recognize Palestine as ‘too hasty’’

Blinken wrote Monday in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal that while the decision was morally correct, it seemed hasty and not focused on the reality of the situation.

“Yet with the Gaza crisis still unfolding, this focus on recognition seems totally beside the more pressing realities. Amid the suffering of Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages—and Israel’s announced plan to occupy all or part of the enclave—averting famine, recovering the hostages and ending the conflict in Gaza are the priorities. Talk of two states can wait,” he wrote.

He emphasized that a “time-bound, conditions-based path toward recognizing a Palestinian state” was necessary instead of unconditional recognition.

“Recognition should also be conditions-based. While Palestinians have a right to self-determination, with that right comes responsibility,” wrote Blinken.

He said he believes it “would be the ultimate rebuke to its agenda of death and destruction” of Hamas.

Blinken said that “a reasonable time frame” to address the conditions would be over the next three years, enough time, he said, to “show Israel and the world that an independent Palestine will be focused on building a state, not destroying Israel.”

‘Secretary of Genocide’ Blinken

The administration of former US President Joe Biden faced protests across during its term in office due to its uninterrupted support for Israel.

In addition to the routine annual military aid of $3.5 billion to Israel, the Biden administration took action for new military aid, sending $18 billion in military aid within a year.

During his final speech in office, Blinken was protested by journalists and demonstrators in the hall, who referred to him as the “Secretary of Genocide.”

The forced removal of journalists from the hall by police drew widespread condemnation domestically and internationally.

Nihad Awad, president of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), stated in an interview with Anadolu in February that the US did not take into account reports of human rights violations by Israel.

“Internal reports from the State Department and the White House clearly show that former US President Biden and former Secretary of State Antony Blinken covered up and rejected these reports,” he said.​​​​​​​