Blinken meets Gantz, hails Israel for ‘making normalization normal’

Continuing his talks with Israeli leaders ahead of the Negev Summit, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Defense Minister Benny Gantz at a Jerusalem hotel.

Gantz thanks Blinken for the recent approval of US funds for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system and for taking part in the “historic” summit meeting starting this evening with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and their counterparts from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Egypt.

Blinken says bilateral cooperation on “the great challenges we have is better than ever” and thanks Israeli leaders for “making normalization normal,” referring to the 2020 US-brokered Abraham Accords that established diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab states.

“This is a positive and very important force in people’s lives for years ahead,” he says, according to a statement from Gantz’s office.

He also thanks Gantz for his work in “changing the lives of Palestinians,” noting the government’s approval today of additional work permits for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.