From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Herzog meets Blinken, with Iran and regional peace on the agenda
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
Before his meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and their advisers, President Isaac Herzog thanks him for “pursuing such important goals” as stopping Iran’s nuclear program and building regional alliances that include Israel.
Herzog says the two will discuss Israeli MIAs and prisoners held by Hamas in Gaza, and “the situation in Lebanon.”
As he did when he was in Israel, Blinken stresses that democratic values undergird the US-Israel relationship. He also says that Herzog’s effort to help find common ground amid the judicial reform fight in Israel “could not be more important.”
Blinken stresses that the US will make sure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.
He also mentions the American commitment to “finding a way forward to two states.”
