Secretary Blinken Meets With Palestinian, Iraqi Leaders in the Middle East to Discuss Israel-Hamas War

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken shakes hands with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Rahmallah, West Bank on Nov. 5 (Pool photo via Jonathan Ernst)

By Melis Akkum

United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Palestinian and Iraqi leaders on Nov. 5 amid increasing tensions between Israel and Hamas to discuss the war’s impacts on the region and reinforce U.S. presence. According to the New York Times, Sec. Blinken’s trip consisted of two unannounced visits to the West Bank and Baghdad.

Sec. Blinken’s visit started in Ramallah located in the Isareli-occupied West Bank where he met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the Associated Press reported. Blinken aims to reassure him on U.S. efforts to protect civilians in Gaza and ensure the Palestinians have a say in their postwar future. According to Reuters, this demonstration of U.S. support came hours after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected calls for a ceasefire to ensure aid delivery and return of hostages. Notably, the meeting’s photo-op only featured a large Palestinian flag in the background, while a smaller U.S. flag was situated on a table between the two leaders, according to the Associated Press.

Sec. Blinken continued with a surprise visit to Baghdad, CNN reported, where he met with Iraqi Prime Minister Shia al-Sudani. Blinken’s visit demonstrated a U.S. willingness to collaborate with Iraq in containing the conflict. The Secretary also visited the U.S. embassy to receive a security briefing on U.S. personnel security in the region.

A news conference held in Amman, Jordan on Nov. 4 preceded the visit. During the conference, foreign minister Ayman Safadi explicitly demanded that Sec. Blinken “stop[s] this madness” following an Israeli air strike on an ambulance in Gaza, the New York Times reported.

Blinken also visited Turkey and Cyprus to gather support for U.S. humanitarian initiatives, ABC reported.

Blinken’s trip also follows President Biden’s last-minute trip to Israel on Oct. 18, the White House put out in a statement, drawing stellar praise from top Israeli officials such as Prime Minister Netanyahu, President of Israel Isaac Herzog, and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. The contrast between President Biden and Sec. Blinken’s itineraries, CNN reported,  could likely be a reflection of domestic U.S. politics as the Israel-Hamas war becomes highly polarizing as an election year looms in the horizon.

According to CBS, U.S. domestic reactions supporting both Palestinian and Israeli civilians have increased over the recent weeks. Recent demonstrations include Isareli flags near the finish line of the New York City Marathon and a pro-Palestinian sit-in on Liberty Island, both on on Nov. 5. Jewish-led organizations in the U.S., like Jewish Voice for Peace, have been leading protests calling for ceasefire and siding with Palestinian civilians, Fox KTVU reported, complicating the American public’s stance on the war and making the task of appealing to all ends of the political spectrum all the more challenging.