Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken As air raid sirens wailed, hurriedly rushed into a bunker in Tel Aviv Monday in the most dramatic moment of a whirlwind — and unusually chaotic — Middle East tour for America’s top diplomat.
His second visit to Israel in five days, Mr. Blinken Landings are scheduled in Amman, Jordan on Monday night but he got stuck in A marathon negotiation session overnight in Tel Aviv and his next destination is uncertain The trip was originally planned for Two days has now become six. 10 Stops and counting
The following are some of the ways to improve your own ability to learn. an Official whose travel itinerary is meticulously planned, and rarely modified. Blinken’s frenetic journey has underscored the scale and complexity of the diplomatic crisis he faces.
Mr. Blinken The U.S. is trying to show support at the same time for Israel after it was attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7; limit Arab criticism of Israel’s military response; win the freedom of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and Prevent an It is possible that an escalation in the conflict could include Hezbollah, Iran and other parties. in The United States
It’s been a rough journey for Mr. BlinkenHe appeared to be haunted at times as he spoke of the massacre of Israelis and a growing human crisis in Gaza.
Reporters’ comments in Cairo on Sunday is two days after his initial stop in Israel, Mr. Blinken Even the most experienced of us admit that we have become confused. for him. (*10*) of how many countries he had visited, Mr. Blinken Before correctly counting seven stops since Wednesday, he said: Egypt, Bahrain and Qatar, plus two each. in Israel, Jordania and Saudi Arabia
For veterans of the State Department, Mr. Blinken’s travel was reminiscent of a recent predecessor. John Kerry, who was secretary of state during the Obama administration, frequently extended and improvised his trips — even changing destinations midflight, in What was branded “seat-of-the-pants diplomacy.” No, Mr. BlinkenThe average traveler is someone who returns home on a Friday. in He decided to stay at home and spend the weekend with two of his young children.
The trip was ad-hoc and began only a few days after Hamas’s massacres. Mr. Blinken The visit he had planned to the area was immediately postponed. for The following week. State Department announced that his departure would be on October 11. for Israel and Jordan return to Friday, October 13
State Department officials soon ripped the plan up. in Consultation with the White House, extended Mr. Blinken’s itinerary to include several other major capitals.
“Henry Kissinger’s 33-day trip to reach an Israeli-Syrian disengagement accord following the 1973 October War holds the Middle East shuttle record,” Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and an ex-State Department Middle East negotiator. “Blinken’s recent wild ride through the region doesn’t quite compare. But it does reflect the uncertainty and chaos of a crisis the administration didn’t see coming and the complexity of the challenges it faces going forward.”
“From here on in,” He added. “the secretary might want to pack a few extra shirts. If the administration wants to make a difference in this region, there are likely going to be more than few wild rides in his future.”
Making a change will not be an easy task. Mr. Blinken It has not yet been successful in One of his main goals was to ensure the safe passage of American citizens in Gaza via a border crossing to Egypt. On Monday, hundreds of people were still stuck at the border.
The answer is no. for When you try, you will fail. After their arrival in On Thursday, Mr. Blinken The schedule was set by the president and his assistants for Next day: four countries in One day from Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Sometimes they improvised their transport: to get from Tel Aviv – their first stop – to Amman, the group took a C-17 U.S. Army plane that made a loop over Cyprus, after sending the Boeing 757. Air Allow the plane to fly ahead so that the crew can rest, while American diplomats are meeting with Israeli officials.
In Jordan, Mr. Blinken Meeting with King Abdullah II in The first meeting was in his palace, and the second with Mahmoud Abus, the Palestinian Authority’s head. in Villa. In Qatar, Mr. Blinken A joint press conference was held in A lavish government building was visited by the Prime Minister. He spoke with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in Bahrain. in V.I.P. Airport lounge as royal guards in Dress uniforms flanked the red carpet outside.
To squeeze in meetings, Mr. Blinken On Saturday, he made a day trip to the United Arab Emirates and returned to Riyadh. On Saturday night, he prepared to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto leader who has regained a measure of diplomatic legitimacy less than three years after the Biden administration released intelligence finding him responsible for Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi Washington Post writer and columnist who was killed in 2018 and dismembered.
The meeting created a new sense of insecurity. The reporters traveling with Mr. Blinken They were told that they could leave the hotel at any time. in the secretary’s motorcade for an audience with the crown prince, the region’s most powerful Sunni Muslim ruler.
The hours went on from midnight till 2 am and then until 4 am. The prince agreed that he would meet Mr. Blinken After 7:30 am on Sunday, at his farm residence. The journalists who stayed up all night were denied entry.
Officials stated that this was typical for Even important visitors were kept waiting by the prince. It was still a rare, and probably frustrating experience. for A sleep-deprived Mr. BlinkenHe is used to foreign officials accommodating him.
At noon on Sunday, it was off to Egypt — supposedly Mr. Blinken’s last stop before returning home. “I know that this is the last of your big tour in the region,” Egypt’s president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, told Mr. Blinken They began their meeting at the same time in Cairo.
Not so quickly. After speaking to Mr. Blinken He added a return to Israel to the schedule. He spent the night in Jordan before flying to Tel Aviv Monday morning, and then driving to Jerusalem to visit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
State Department officials were already whispering that Mr. Biden might visit Israel this week. Plans for A Monday return to Washington was scrapped. After the negotiations with Israeli leaders about humanitarian aid for Palestinians, everyone was supposed to wait in Jordan. for Please read the following instructions.
On Monday, in Jerusalem between meetings with Israeli officials, Mr. Blinken You can make use of an Unscheduled visit to the residence of the American Ambassador, popping in Borrow a safe line for Call Washington. The White House announced shortly before that Mr. Biden would be cancelling a trip to Colorado on that particular day. for a national security meeting — perhaps the same one that Mr. Blinken Calling into.
Mr. Blinken’s trip has also been charged with an A current of unusual danger. While guarding his aircraft, security officers normally wearing suits were equipped with body armor and helmets. in Israel.
On Monday, right after Mr. Blinken’s convoy left Jerusalem, air sirens sounded there, indicating incoming rockets or missiles. Everyone in The city ran for shelter. Sirens were too loud in Tel Aviv Officials, journalists in If sirens were heard, the convoy was instructed to leave the cars and get down at the roadside.
After Mr. Blinken Around 7 pm, I met Mr. Netanyahu and the war cabinet at the Kirya base. in Tel Aviv’s sirens were again heard. The Israeli soldiers and traveling journalists outside rushed into an indoor stairwell.
Mr. Blinken Mr. Netanyahu was present at the meeting in the prime minister’s office in Shimon-Peres-House on the base, when the sirens went off. Mr. Blinken The Israeli officials went into a bunker for Five minutes. Then they walked to the command center for a continuation of their meeting about humanitarian aid. A third siren punctuated this, and it continued into Tuesday morning. in sight — far longer than originally planned.
