INTERNATIONAL
With Yair Lapid at his side, Blinken uses a word that Israel has been longing to hear on Iran Ron Kampeas
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Yair Lapid got what he wanted out of his Washington visit: the word “every,” instead of “other.” During Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s first meeting with President Biden in August, Bennett was happy with what he heard: the American president, despite his desire to rejoin the Iran nuclear deal, said that if Iran does not engage in good faith diplomacy with the nations involved in the deal, the U.S. would consider “other options” in getting Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions. It was a sign that Israel and U.S. Democrats, long far apart in their opinions on how to best contain Iran, were coming closer together. Lapid, on his official trip as foreign minister in Washington, pushed things along even further. He looked on Wednesday, October 13 as Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, said “every” option was on the table if Iran does not engage in a good faith effort to negotiate the U.S. reentry into the nuclear deal. It was one of those blink-and-youmiss-it moments in diplomacy, but it had significant weight. According to insiders involved in the issue, “other options” can be seen as referring to enhanced sanctions, or other non-military forms of pressure. “Every option” means military action may be on the table as well. “We will look at every option to deal with the challenge posed by Iran,” Blinken said at a press conference called to announce initiatives that would advance the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements between Israel and four Arab nations. “We continue to believe that diplomacy is the most effective way to do that, but it takes two to engage in diplomacy, and we have not—we have not seen from Iran a willingness to do that at this point.” Blinken made the statement on the State Department’s eighth floor, flanked by Lapid and the United Arab Emirates
foreign minister, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The foreign ministers were together to announce new Abraham Accords initiatives, but the symbolism of Blinken’s stronger language in the company of two of the Middle East nations who feel Iran’s threat most sharply was unmistakable. A senior Israeli official told reporters after the meetings that the Israeli and U.S. delegations discussed Iran extensively behind closed doors. “While there may not have been agreement, there was the discussion of options that have not been on the table previously,” said the official, who spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the information. Along with Bennett, Lapid has spear-
Antony Blinken said “every” option was on the table if Iran does not engage in a good faith effort to negotiate the U.S. reentry into the nuclear deal. headed the effort to repair Israel’s ties with the Democratic Party, which were corroded during the 12 years Benjamin Netanyahu was prime minister. Netanyahu was antagonistic toward that half of the American polity, toward which the clear majority of American Jews are oriented. Netanyahu has accused Bennett and Lapid of showing weakness by not more robustly opposing the Biden administration’s efforts to reenter the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which former President Donald Trump left in 2018 at Netanyahu’s behest. Bennett and Lapid’s strategy appeared to pay dividends during Lapid’s 48 hours in the U.S. capital. The Biden administration, frustrated with the new hard-line Iranian government elected this summer, is edging closer to Israel’s posture, a
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development that came speaker of the U.S. House of about without tensions. Representatives. In a brief Blinken’s language on appearance for reporters, Iran was tougher than it Pelosi emphasized biparhas been since President tisan support for Israel, a Joe Biden made good on pointed rejection of the calls his pledge to seek to reenby progressives within her ter the 2015 sanctions party to cut funding to the relief for nuclear rollback country. deal, known as the Joint On the U.S. side, Comprehensive Plan of Blinken said the Biden Action. Biden sees it as the Antony Blinken, 2021 administration remains best option to keep Iran dedicated to reviving the from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Biden, “Despite the fact that we’ve made he said at the press conference, has been abundantly clear over the last nine “clear that a two-state solution is the best months that we are prepared to return to way to ensure Israel’s future as a Jewish full compliance with the JCPOA if Iran and democratic state, living in peace does the same, what we are seeing—or alongside a viable, sovereign, and demomaybe more accurately not seeing from cratic Palestinian state.” Bennett has said Tehran now—suggests that they’re not,” that a Palestinian state will not arise on Blinken said. “I’m not going to put a spehis watch, while Lapid has been less clear cific date on it, but with every passing day on the issue. and Iran’s refusal to engage in good faith, Blinken did not refrain from menthe runway gets short.” tioning points of contention, including Lapid culled other dividends from his American plans to reopen a dedicated visit. The Biden administration showed consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem, itself fully committed to cultivating the replacing the one shuttered by the Trump Abraham Accords, one of the few areas of administration. agreement it has with the Trump admin“We’ll be moving forward with istration, which brokered the accords. the process of opening a consulate as Blinken at the press conference announced part of deepening those ties with the the launch of two working groups comPalestinians,” Blinken said, although the prising Israeli, U.S. and Emirati officials, Israeli government is on the record as one tackling religious intolerance and the opposing it. other fostering cooperation on water and State Department statements on the energy. meetings also pointedly said that China Lapid also met with World Bank offiwas a topic of discussion with Lapid. The cials to discuss plans to seek investors Biden administration, like the Trump for infrastructure projects in the Gaza administration before it, objects to the Strip as a means of lifting the standard extent of Israel’s commercial ties with the of living in the poverty-stricken enclave, most formidable rival to the United States while limiting the influence of Hamas, in the international arena. the terrorist group controlling the strip Lapid also met with Jewish organiwith which Israel periodically wars. The zational leaders in Washington before United Arab Emirates would likely also returning to Israel. He made the case to play a role in the investments. them that he wants to repair relations Lapid, who is set to take over as neglected by Netanyahu, who gravitated Israel’s prime minister in 2023, also toward evangelical Christians as a more met with Vice President Kamala Harris, natural pro-Israel base. and with Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic
