US will continue to encourage normalisation with Israel: Blinken

Top US diplomat outlines steps to ‘widen the circle’ of normalisation that do not include peace with Palestinians.

The Biden administration will build on the “successful efforts” of its Donald Trump-led predecessor to encourage more countries to normalise ties with Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

Speaking at a virtual event on Friday celebrating the first anniversary of the normalisation agreement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – which later included Morocco, Sudan and Kosovo – Blinken outlined steps Washington will take to strengthen the accord.

The plan did not include pushing to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.