From the Liveblog of
Thursday, November 23, 2023
US says it’ll continue cooperating with Jordan on Gaza after its FM blasted Biden’s post-war strategy
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
The US has been working to rally Arab allies around its day-after strategy for Gaza — one that envisions the Palestinian Authority eventually returning to govern the enclave.
However, the Biden administration recognizes that an international force will be needed to manage and secure Gaza for an interim period after the war until a “revitalized” PA is prepared to take over.
Biden officials have been floating the idea of Arab countries contributing troops and funds to help rebuild and rehabilitate Gaza after the war, three officials told The Times of Israel last week
While the idea has not yet been wholly embraced by Arab allies, who are hesitant to contribute to a temporary regime, given that Israel has not shown interest in working toward a two-state solution with the PA, the officials said.
But only Jordan has made a point of rejecting the proposals publicly, with its Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi tearing into US efforts to even begin discussing post-war plans while the fighting still rages.
“What happens next? How can we even entertain what will happen next?” Safadi said earlier this month in a fiery press conference alongside Blinken and Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry.
“We don’t have all the variables to even start thinking about that… We need to get our priorities straight,” he Safadi.
Over the weekend, Safadi took aim specifically at the US proposal for Arab countries to dispatch soldiers to Gaza.
“There will be no Arab troops going to Gaza. None. We are not going to be seen as the enemy,” Safadi said during a conference in Yemen.
Asked for comment on Safadi’s remarks, a US State Department spokesperson avoids responding directly to Safadi’s criticism.
“We continue to work with our regional partners, including Jordan, on addressing the conflict in Gaza, protecting civilian life, and providing life-saving aid to the Palestinian people,” the spokesperson says.
The spokesperson also pointed to recent comments by Blinken who stressed, “The Palestinian people’s voices and aspirations must be at the center of post-crisis governance in Gaza.”
The United States is Jordan’s single largest provider of bilateral assistance, providing more than $1.65 billion in 2021.
