Blinken added: The United States opposes any action from any aspect that would make it more difficult to achieve the two-state solution, including expansion of settlements, demolitions, evictions from homes, and destabilization of the historic status quo in places sacred.
Blinken offered his condolences over the killing of innocent Palestinians, saying: Let me begin by expressing our condolences and grief over the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians who have lost their lives in the escalation of violence over the past year.
In a joint press conference with Netanyahu, Blinken said, “We urge all parties now to take urgent steps to restore calm and defuse the escalation, stressing that the United States continues to support maintaining the status quo in Jerusalem’s holy places.” and anything that moves us away from the two-state solution still harms Israel’s long-term security.
On the other hand, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates yesterday condemned Israel’s “racist” laws to revoke the citizenship or residency of Palestinian prisoners.
The ministry said in a press release: “It takes discussions very seriously in course in the Israeli Knesset (Parliament). in regarding the adoption of a series of racially discriminatory laws, in under which citizenship or residency will be revoked from Palestinian prisoners.
The ministry considered that these laws represent “a serious escalation of the situation, another form of collective punishment, the doubling of discriminatory sanctions and measures against Palestinian citizens and the same charge, and a flagrant violation of international law, the Conventions of Geneva and the principles of human rights.”
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