U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized Washington's interest in building on the progress made towards advancing peace in the Middle East.
According to the "Reuters" news agency, Blinken stated during a phone call with Israeli Foreign Minister that the United States reaffirms its commitment to Israel's security and will continue to work closely with it to promote peace in the region. The U.S. State Department's statement noted, "Israeli Foreign Minister Ashkenazi and Secretary Blinken acknowledged the strong partnership between the United States and Israel and confirmed that the two countries will work closely together to face upcoming challenges."
Recently, the U.S. Senate approved the appointment of seasoned diplomat Antony Blinken as Secretary of State. The Senate's approval, consisting of 100 members, came with a majority of 78 votes in favor and 22 against, requiring only a simple majority in the Democrat-controlled chamber. Blinken has been a close associate of Biden for a long time and has previously received the Senate's support for various nominations, the last being for the position of Deputy Secretary of State during former President Barack Obama's administration when Biden was Vice President.
