Romney, Secretary of State Antony Blinken discover progress in Center East, Ukraine, China

SALT LAKE CITY — Israelis and Palestinians have each been “completely traumatized” by the Oct. 7 assault on Israel by Hamas, and the following struggle in Gaza, Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Utah Sen. Mitt Romney Friday.

“And when this battle ends, constructing again from that trauma goes to be a rare activity,” Blinken mentioned.

On the time of the assault, Israel and Saudi Arabia had been simply days away from normalizing relations, Blinken mentioned, one thing he hopes may nonetheless occur.

Romney interviewed Blinken on the McCain Institute’s 2024 Sedona Discussion board, held Friday and Saturday in Sedona, Arizona. They mentioned the struggle in Gaza and the probabilities for a cease-fire, in addition to the connection between China and the U.S., and the persevering with struggle in Ukraine.

Romney had excessive reward for Blinken, saying he’s a “considerate, perceptive, intellectually curious, devoted particular person, devoted, decided, indefatigable, who has traveled the world time and time once more. Not an individual of bombast however an individual who listens and is soft-spoken. We’re very lucky to have a person of that form of high quality, expertise and character as our present secretary.”

Blinken returned the reward, saying, “Mitt Romney is a person of extraordinary precept married to extraordinary pragmatism. It is a uncommon mixture, and I’ve gotten to see that up shut these previous few years.”

On the Center East

Blinken mentioned the Biden administration’s newest makes an attempt to resolve the battle between Israel and Hamas, which features a cease-fire settlement Israel has already agreed to.

“On this second, the very best factor that may occur can be for the settlement that is on the desk, that is being thought of by Hamas, to have a cease-fire, the discharge of hostages, the potential for actually surging humanitarian help to individuals who so desperately want it. That is what we’re centered on,” Blinken mentioned.

The “solely factor standing between the folks of Gaza and a cease-fire is Hamas. So we glance to see what they are going to do,” he mentioned.

He additionally mentioned the administration continues to deal with making an attempt to get humanitarian help to the Palestinians in Gaza.

“We’re working each single day, the president’s working each single day, to guarantee that we’re doing what we are able to in order that the folks in Gaza, who’re caught in a crossfire of Hamas’ making, get the assistance, the help, the assist they want,” he mentioned.

Blinken mentioned he was nervous concerning the “demonization” happening in relation to the battle, notably within the U.S., saying it’s a “poison that we now have to combat continuously.”

Blinken mentioned he additionally sees promising developments, like the need in Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel, one thing he mentioned he was engaged on earlier than Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

“In actual fact, I used to be as a result of go to Israel and Saudi Arabia on Oct. 10 to work on this and, specifically, to work on the Palestinian piece of the puzzle — as a result of for us, for the Saudis, if we’re in a position to transfer ahead on normalization, it has to incorporate additionally shifting ahead on the aspirations of the Palestinian folks,” he mentioned.

Blinken additionally addressed Iran’s “unprecedented” direct assault on Israel.

“Some folks mentioned, ‘Nicely, it was designed so it would not do a lot a lot harm, fastidiously calibrated.’ Nothing of the type. Greater than 300 projectiles launched at Israel, together with greater than 100 ballistic missiles,” he mentioned.

“It is as a result of Israel had very efficient defenses, but additionally as a result of the president of the US managed to rally on brief discover, a group of nations to assist, that harm was not performed,” he mentioned.

Romney requested Blinken why Hamas has not agreed to the cease-fire proposals which have been placed on the desk.

Blinken mentioned the leaders of Hamas dwell in Qatar, or different locations, and the choice makers are in Gaza. However, Blinken mentioned, if Hamas does signify the Palestinian folks, as they purport to, agreeing to the newest cease-fire proposal can be a “no-brainer.”

On Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken mentioned it doesn’t matter what folks consider the prime minister, what he is doing is “truly a mirrored image of the place a big majority of Israelis are on this second.”

Blinken mentioned the Biden administration is making an attempt to share with Israel not solely what’s within the U.S.’s curiosity, however what the administration feels is in Israel’s curiosity, particularly with regards to a doable invasion of Rafah, which Israel has been talking about since February, as Israel tries to get better the remaining hostages.

Given the variety of Palestinians within the metropolis — Blinken estimated there are 1.4 million Palestinians there — “absent a reputable plan to genuinely defend the civilians who’re in hurt’s method … we will not assist a serious army operation going into Rafah as a result of the harm it might do is past what’s acceptable,” he mentioned.

Blinken mentioned “Israel has a proper to defend itself,” and questioned why the world had “moved on” from speaking about Hamas’ assault on Oct. 7, however he reiterated the significance of defending civilians.

Romney requested why has Israel’s “PR been so terrible.”

Blinken attributed the world’s criticism of Israel to the “inescapable actuality” of the struggling in Gaza, in addition to the present “data setting.” Up to now, folks regarded to main nationwide information retailers like The New York Instances or The Wall Road Journal for his or her information, however now, “The way in which this has performed on social media has dominated the narrative,” he mentioned.

This implies a lot of the historical past, context and info are misplaced to an emotional response, he added.

When Romney requested whether or not a two-state answer was nonetheless doable, Blinken mentioned “It’s an crucial,” for peace within the area, particularly as nations like Saudi Arabia take a look at normalizing relations with Israel.

Blinken on China and Ukraine

Blinken mentioned the Biden administration is making an attempt to determine common dialogue with all ranges of the Chinese language authorities, together with with the army.

He mentioned it is also making an attempt to “strategy China from a place of energy,” together with by increasing home manufacturing, particularly within the space of microchips, and additionally working with European companions on the difficulty.

The largest killer within the U.S. proper now could be fentanyl, he mentioned, and lots of the parts are legally made in China for different makes use of however then are diverted to be used by felony enterprises, and so the U.S. is placing strain on China to “take motion” towards the enterprises engaged within the fentanyl commerce.

Romney mentioned as a businessman, he seems to be at China and thinks it is performed a “good” job with technique, together with with its “Belt and Street Initiative,” which is a community of roads, ports and infrastructure tasks in its area and internationally.

With out having to fret about antitrust legal guidelines, Romney mentioned China has been in a position to construct monopolies in a number of industries, after which it competes with American firms, generally driving them out of enterprise.

On Ukraine, Blinken praised Romney for serving to to cross the newest support invoice for Ukraine, which put Romney at odds with some members of his occasion.

“I don’t perceive how anybody can argue that we should not present weapons to Ukraine,” Romney mentioned. He requested Blinken what he thinks is the pathway ahead for Ukraine.

“I consider profoundly that in so some ways, regardless of the unimaginable problem that Ukraine is dealing with, it is already succeeded, and Russia has already misplaced,” Blinken mentioned, given Russia’s purpose of making an attempt to seize management of the entire nation.

As Romney and Blinken wrapped up their dialog, Blinken mentioned the world continues to have an “ongoing thirst for American engagement (and) for American management,” including that if the U.S. does not proceed to interact, “Another person will and possibly not in a method that advances our pursuits and values.”

“We won’t go it alone, and we will not go away. And that is what we’re decided to ensure we’re centered on as we feature on these subsequent months,” he mentioned.