CAIRO: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Egypt on Sunday at the start of a Middle East trip on which he will look to notch down Israeli-Palestinian tensions after an eruption of violence.

Blinken, who will travel to Jerusalem and Ramallah on Monday and Tuesday after his stop in Cairo, had long planned the visit to see Israel’s new right-wing government, but the trip takes on a fresh urgency after some of the worst violence in years.

Blinken will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and call “broadly for steps to be taken to de-escalate tensions”, State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.

The violence is also likely to figure in talks between Blinken and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, whose country’s traditional role as a Middle East mediator has helped him remain a key US partner despite President Joe Biden’s criticism of his human rights record.

The United States, with its close relationship to Israel, has historically taken a lead on Middle East diplomacy. In Egypt, Blinken is expected to discuss regional issues such as Libya and Sudan, the State Department said.

Egypt remains one of the top recipients of US military assistance, but the cooperation faces scrutiny from parts of Biden’s Democratic Party due to Sisi’s rights record.

Authorities released hundreds of political prisoners last year, but rights groups estimate some 60,000 remain in detention, many facing harsh conditions and overcrowded cells.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2023