Biden sends top U.S. diplomat to Mideast to meet with Israeli, Palestinian leaders to lay groundwork for peace talks
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to the Middle East to press the Israelis, Palestinians and regional players to build on last week’s Gaza cease-fire by laying the groundwork for a resumption in long-stalled peace talks. President Joe Biden says Blinken departs Monday for a short visit to Israel, the West Bank, Jordan and Egypt. It will be the Biden administration’s highest-level in-person meetings on the crisis that erupted this month. The administration was roundly criticized for its perceived hands-off initial response to the deadly violence, including from Democratic allies in Congress who demanded it take a tougher line on Israel and its response to rocket attacks from Palestinian militant groups in Gaza.
