US and Israel will try to work out differences through ‘quiet’ diplomacy

Agencies | Rome

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Israel has serious reservations about the Iran nuclear deal being put together in Vienna, new Foreign Minister Yair Lapid told his American counterpart, as he pledged to fix “the mistakes made” between the two countries over the past few years.

In their first face-to-face meeting since Israel’s new government was sworn in two weeks ago, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Lapid said they would also discuss Israel’s normalisation accords with Gulf Arab states.

Blinken said he would also be raising the issue of humanitarian assistance into Gaza. Blinken said the US supports Israel’s normalisation accords, but they cannot be a substitute for engaging in issues between Israelis and Palestinians.

Iran and the US have been holding indirect talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers that imposed restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for lifting international sanctions.

“Israel has some serious reservations about the Iran nuclear deal that is being put together in Vienna,” Lapid said in his brief remarks before the meeting in a Rome hotel began. He also said Israel will be working to improve ties with Washington. “In the past few years, mistakes were made,” Lapid told Blinken. “Israel’s bipartisan standing was hurt.

We will fix those mistakes together.” The Americans and Israelis will try to work out differences away from the public, as in Biden’s “quiet” diplomacy, when he privately urged former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to wind down the Israel-Hamas war ahead of a truce that took effect May 21.

“We believe the way to discuss those disagreements is through direct and professional conversation, not a press conference,” Lapid said. Lapid said he had spoken with Democrats and Republicans since taking office and had “reminded them all that we share America’s most basic, basic values — freedom, democracy, free markets and constant search for peace.”

Blinken noted that even though the two governments are new, “the foundation that we’re working on is one of an enduring partnership, a relationship, friendship between the United States and Israel.” The push means aiming for smaller achievements, such as shoring up the informal ceasefire that ended last month’s war with Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers and replenishing Israel’s Iron Dome defence system.

A major push to revive the long-dormant peace process between Israel and the Palestinians could unsettle the delicate balance.