Linda Thomas-Greenfield
Linda Thomas-GreenfieldReuters

US Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Linda Thomas-Greenfield will be visiting Israel this week and she spoke with Israeli and Arab reporters about the visit and the main issues being dealt with in the region.

"I’m looking forward, as you know, to making my first visit to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan next week." Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said. "The United States and Israel have a strong and enduring partnership, particularly as it relates to our interests at the United Nations. So it’s been a top priority for me to visit, to meet with Prime Minister Bennett, President Herzog, and other officials, and to explore ways to expand our close cooperation at the United Nations."

"The Biden administration is committed to defending Israel from one-sided and biased resolutions that consume too much time in UN bodies," the Ambassador added, "and I have been proud to stand up for Israel at the Security Council. I also hope to discuss our positive agenda at the UN aimed at promoting Israel’s full participation in the UN system, which is in the interest not only of Israel but the entire international community. We also want to make the Abraham Accords and other normalization agreements between Israel and its Arab and Muslim neighbors felt at the UN, where I hope there will be new opportunities for cooperation."

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield mentioned that she looks forward to visiting Ramallah, where she will "continue this administration’s efforts to build ties with both Palestinian leaders and the Palestinian people." She will be meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and several of his closest advisors.

Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield related to Iran’s aggression in the region and said: "President Biden has made clear that the United States is firmly committed to ensuring Iran never acquires a nuclear weapon. And I think you know the administration continues to believe in diplomacy in coordination with our allies and regional partners. We believe this is the best path forward to achieve that goal. And we also believe that a mutual return to the JCPOA compliance would restore the nonproliferation achievements of the deal."

Regarding UNESCO, the Ambassador noted that since the US withdrawal from UNESCO, many adversaries of the United States "really exploited the vacuum we left to advance their own authoritarian agenda in the organization."

"We don’t believe that’s in US or Israel’s interest," she added.

The US Ambassador to the UN commented on the "two state solution" and stated: "We believe that a negotiated two-state solution is the best way to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we’re working to advance equal measures of freedom, security, and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians alike. We will focus our efforts on an affirmative, practical approach to take positive steps that help keep the possibility of a negotiated two-state solution alive, and we applaud both parties in doing whatever they can to maximize productive communications that we hope will help reduce tensions and improve the situation on the ground."