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January 30, 2023

Blinken in Middle East Amid Mounting Violence Following Jenin Raid and Attack on Jewish Worshipers
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Tensions between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories are
reaching a boiling point following a spate of recent attacks, which have
escalated since Israeli forces raided the Jenin refugee camp in the West
Bank Thursday, killing 10 people, including two children. On Friday, a
gunman killed seven people near a Jerusalem synagogue at the start of
the Jewish Sabbath. Over the weekend, Israelis living in illegal
settlements in the West Bank carried out scores of attacks on
Palestinians. At least four Palestinians have been killed by Israeli
forces since the Jenin attack, bringing the total number of Palestinians
killed by Israelis since the start of the year to 35, eight of them
children.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will expedite gun
permits for Israeli citizens. This is Israeli National Security Minister
Itamar Ben-Gvir.

Itamar Ben-Gvir: "I want weapons on the streets. I want Israeli citizens
to be able to protect themselves. We saw this in today's attack near the
city of David. If people have weapons, they will protect themselves."

Meanwhile, another protest brought tens of thousands of Israelis to the
streets of Tel Aviv this weekend to call out the mounting violence and
attempts by the new far-right coalition government to diminish judicial
powers.

Assaf Steinberg: "What we are trying to tell this government is that the
need for democracy, the need for peace, the need for prosperity should
be the backbone of what we are here for. And that's what we should
strive for, a democratic state that strives for peace."

This all comes as Secretary of State Antony Blinken is meeting with
Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem today during an official visit to the
region. He is scheduled to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
in Ramallah Tuesday. Blinken already met with Egyptian President Abdel
Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo during the first leg of his Middle East trip.
Blinken says he stressed human rights during his talks with Egyptian
officials. Egypt is a major recipient of U.S. military funding despite
its brutal suppression of dissent and the press, including the
widespread jailing of political prisoners.