US opposes Friday Security Council meet on Gaza to ‘give time for diplomacy’

By Jacob Magid

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13 May 2021, 11:17 pm

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Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

Secretary of State Antony Blinken participates in a virtual bilateral meeting with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at the State Department in Washington, Tuesday, April 27, 2021. (Leah Millis/Pool via AP)

NEW YORK — Asked to respond to reports that the US blocked the UN Security Council from holding an open session Friday on the escalation in Israel and Gaza, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Washington would prefer it not be held so soon.

“We are open to and supportive of an open discussion at the UN. I think we’re looking at early next week,” Blinken says at a press conference.

“This I hope will give some time for diplomacy to have some effect and to see if we get a real deescalation and can then pursue this in the United Nations in that context,” he adds, noting that US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs Hady Amr is currently en route to Israel for talks with both sides aimed at bringing about a cease fire.

Security Council diplomats tell The Times of Israel that the member states are hoping to hold the meeting on Tuesday after the US rebuffed their efforts to meet on Friday.

The council has already met twice this week behind closed doors, during which the US blocked an effort by the 14 other member states to publish a joint statement on the matter that would have criticized both Israel and Hamas for the ongoing escalation.