U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that the Biden administration will engage with the new hardline Israeli government according to its policies, not based on individual ministers.
"We will gauge the government by the policies and procedures, rather than individual personalities," Blinken said during the J Street conference in Washington.
"We will hold to the standards we’ve established in our relationship over the past several decades. And we will speak honestly and respectfully with our Israeli friends as partners always should."
Blinken added that the administration welcomes incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's public commitment to work for the benefit of all the residents of Israel .
"As President Joe Biden told Netanyahu, we expect the new government to work with us to promote our shared Democratic values. We will continue to support LGBTQ rights and the equal administration of justice to all citizens of Israel," Blinken added.
Blinken also addressed the importance of preserving a horizon of hope for the two-state solution and working relentlessly to prevent any parties from taking actions that could raise tensions or further push out the solution.
"We will also continue to unequivocally oppose any acts that undermine the prospects of a two-state solution, including but not limited to settlement expansion, moves toward annexation of the West Bank, disruption to the historic status quo of holy sites, demolitions and evictions, and incitement to violence," Blinken said.
"We will always condemn acts of terrorism or violence targeting civilians, there can be no justification for it ever. And anyone who engages in it must be held accountable as President Biden has often said. We will also denounce those who fail to condemn such attacks or even worse, who praise or reward terrorists or their families," the secretary of state added.