Two journalists on Thursday attacked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, branding him a “criminal” for the treatment of Israel during its military offensive on the Gaza Strip, in what was his last press conference as US top diplomat.
“Criminal! Why aren’t they in The Hague?” exclaimed journalist Sam Husseini in reference to the proceedings opened by the International Criminal Court (ICC) — whose headquarters are in the aforementioned Dutch city — against the Israeli authorities, before being forcibly lifted and expelled from the room by members of the security team while continuing to interrupt Blinken.
Journalist Max Blumenthal has also been evicted, accusing the Secretary of State of “having raised the white flag” before Israel had even approved the agreement and criticizing his “genocidal legacy.”
Blinken has limited himself to saying that he would answer all the questions once he finished his speech, in which he defended his management and that of the president, Joe Biden, and thanked the journalists present in the room for their “professionalism,” highlighting the importance of his work and that of his Department to “keep the American people informed around the world.”
HE CELEBRATES THE TRUCE IN GAZA AS A SUCCESS OF US DIPLOMACY
Blinken has taken the opportunity to defend “American leadership and diplomacy” in reference to the ceasefire reached this week between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), pointing out that he hopes that “the implementation of the agreement begins on Sunday.”
“During 15 months of devastating conflict, we have worked to negotiate a deal that would bring the hostages home, that would stop the fighting, that would increase humanitarian aid to the people who so desperately need it, that would create the space to conclude a permanent ceasefire. As Biden said yesterday, after more than 400 days of fighting, a day of success has arrived,” he stressed.
Asked if he would change anything in the treatment offered to Israel for its military offensive on the Gaza Strip, the head of US diplomacy has justified his policy towards the Hebrew Executive by claiming that its management of the war was “supported by an overwhelming majority of Israelis after the trauma” of the attacks on October 7, 2023.
ASKS TRUMP FOR A “LONG-LASTING” CEASEFIRE FOR UKRAINE
Blinken has also spoken out about the conflict in Ukraine, the other major issue that has occupied most of his tenure as Secretary of State since the Russian invasion, ordered by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, on February 24, 2022.
In this sense, he has urged the next administration to ensure that any ceasefire agreement reached in the European country is “long-lasting” and includes effective mechanisms to prevent future attacks by the Russian Army.
“One of the most important things here is that, if there is a ceasefire, it is long-lasting and maintained,” he said, while warning that Putin “will want to take the weight off it” and “attack when he feels it is the right time.”
He also defended the strategy of the outgoing government, because it has caused “unimaginable” losses for Russia: “We see the impact on its economy, on its future and on its inability to invest in critical infrastructure for the future.”
PANAMANIAN SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE PANAMA CANAL “IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE”
Blinken has assured that the sovereignty of the Central American country over the Panama Canal “is not going to change,” after the president-elect has claimed his right to integrate it into the country’s sovereignty.
“Panama is a great partner in many other matters, and I hope we can resolve this issue of the canal and its security (…) We have a treaty and a policy in place for many years and that is not going to change. As I said before, it is not worth spending time on this,” he concluded.
