Antony Blinken, Biden’s nominee for the position of secretary of state, said that the incoming administration does not plan on rolling back the decision recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s national capital. The landmark decision was taken by the outgoing Trump administration. 

When questioned by Senator Ted Cruz, Blinken said “Yes and yes” to both points without any hesitation. However, he added that the incoming President will lobby for a separate Palestinian state while acknowledging the difficulties in that task. 

Even though the Palestinians claim the holy city of Jerusalem, Trump bucked international consensus and officially recognised the city as Israel’s national capital in 2017.  

“The only way to ensure Israel’s future as a Jewish, democratic state and to give the Palestinians a state to which they are entitled is through the so-called two-state solution,” Blinken said.

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But he added: “I think realistically it’s hard to see near-term prospects for moving forward on that.”

“What would be important is to make sure that neither party takes steps that make the already difficult process even more challenging,” he said.

The nominee made the remarks while speaking at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the eve of Biden’s inauguration.

Blinken, a long-time aide to Biden, also backed President Donald Trump’s tough stance on China, although, he didn’t always agree with his tactics. 

Shortly after his remarks, a watchdog said that Israel had issued tenders for 2,500 new settler homes.

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The Trump administration had voiced general support for a Palestinian state but said it should be demilitarized and not have its capital inside Jerusalem.

The Palestinian leadership boycotted Trump, saying the Jerusalem move as well as his ending of aid for Palestinian refugees showed his bias.

In a drive led by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Trump instead focused Middle East efforts on winning Arab recognition of Israel with four nations agreeing to normalize ties since September.

Blinken also said he opposed campaigns to pressure Israel through boycotts, putting him at odds with some in the left wing of his Democratic Party.