March 28–April 1
As Anthony Blinken was in Israel for meetings with Abbas, Bennett and Arab leaders, sprawling storms triggered nearly 500 severe weather reports. March topped 227 tornados, the most ever in the U.S. (Fox News article below)
Anthony Blinken met with PA President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday, March 27, 2022.
---
Secretary Antony J. Blinken Joint Press Statements at the Conclusion of the Negev Summit
US State Department - March 28, 2022
SECRETARY BLINKEN: "... One of the issues we discussed today was how countries involved in the Abraham Accords and normalization, as well as those that have longstanding diplomatic relationships with Israel, can support the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people in concrete ways and have a positive impact on the daily lives of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. This is a conversation we’ll carry forward so that we can work toward our goal of Palestinians and Israelis enjoying equal measures of freedom, security, opportunity, and dignity, and create the conditions for a negotiated two-state solution. ..."
EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SHOUKRY: "... This round of discussions has given us an opportunity to highlight views related to how we can further progress in achieving our common objectives, and it certainly did during these discussions. We did highlight the importance of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the importance of maintaining the credibility and the viability of the two-state solution that – for Israel and a Palestinian state to live side by side in peace with recognized borders for a Palestinian state in accordance with the ’67 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital. ..."
MOROCCAN FOREIGN MINISTER BOURITA: "... We are here also to be a force of peace, and first to show that for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a solution is possible, and for His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the position is constant. We are for a two-state solution, living side by side with a Palestinian state in the borders of ’67 with East Jerusalem as capital, and a solution which will preserve the security and the interests of Israel. ..."
--------
Announcing permanent regional forum, Israel, Arab states laud alliance, decry terror
March 28, 2022 - Times of Israel
SDE BOKER, Negev Desert — At their historic summit in the Israeli Negev town of Sde Boker on Monday, the top diplomats of Israel, the US and four Arab nations announced that the conference would be the first iteration of a permanent regional forum, as they reaffirmed the importance of growing ties between Israel and the broader Middle East.
The foreign ministers of Israel, Egypt, Bahrain, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates and the US secretary of state all condemned terrorism, a day after an attack in the city of Hadera in which two Border Police officers were shot dead.
The unprecedented gathering was widely seen as an attempt by Israel and its Arab allies to create a front against shared regional foe Iran. Israeli officials told reporters on the scene that the talks centered around creating a “regional security architecture,” among other issues.
--
March 28, 2022
King Abdullah in Ramallah: Regional peace dependent on two-states at '67 lines
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-702545
Jordan’s King Abdullah II meets with Abbas in rare West Bank visit
https://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=29&month=03&year=2022
-----
Sprawling storm triggers nearly 500 severe weather reports across the U.S.
April 1, 2022 - Fox Weather
A massive storm system that spread its wrath across much of the U.S. this week left a trail of damage across several states, spawning almost 500 reports of severe weather to the National Weather Service.
A massive storm system that spread its wrath across much of the U.S. this week left a trail of damage across several states, spawning almost 500 reports of severe weather.
What started as a snow event in the Rockies turned into severe thunderstorms as the system moved into the Plains late Tuesday. An EF-3 tornado touched down in Springdale, Arkansas, Wednesday morning, injuring seven people—two seriously.
The storm line intensified further as it approached the Mississippi River, stretching over 1,300 miles across at one point. As the thunder roared and wind raged, several hundred reports of storm damage from 50–65 mph gusts flowed from National Weather Service offices, touching every corner of Mississippi and stretching into Tennessee, Kentucky and even southern Illinois and Indiana.
---
Busy tornado season sets record with nearly 250 twister reports in March alone
Fox News - April 1, 2022
NEW YORK -- Following a relatively quiet January and February in the severe weather department, March kicked the door wide open to start the nation's severe season.
The U.S. tallied 1,382 reports of severe weather (which includes tornadoes, damaging wind, and/or large hail) in March, which is above the long-term average of just over 1,200.
About a third of all days this month saw above-average severe weather activity, with five of those days ending with more than 100 storm reports. The most active day was the 30th, which saw 247 reports of severe weather, including an impressive 197 reports of damaging wind alone.