U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Wednesday that the Biden administration intends to proceed with plans to reopen the American consulate in Jerusalem as part of efforts to deepen relations with the Palestinians. Blinken reiterated his commitment to moving toward the reopening of the consulate, which traditionally served as a diplomatic communication base with the Palestinians before it was closed by former President Donald Trump in 2018. However, Blinken, speaking at a press conference in Washington with his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid and Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, did not specify a timeline for the reopening, which is opposed by the new Israeli government.
Blinken said at the State Department, "We will move forward with the process of opening a consulate as part of deepening those relations with the Palestinians." The Biden administration has sought to mend relations with the Palestinians, which were severely damaged during Trump's tenure. The consulate was merged into the U.S. embassy, which Trump moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in 2018, a move praised by Israel and condemned by the Palestinians. The Biden administration claims it will reopen the consulate while keeping the embassy in its current location.
Blinken was responding to a question from a journalist after a tripartite meeting, marking the latest sign of the Biden administration's support for the so-called Abraham Accords, which were widely regarded as a diplomatic success for Trump. The UAE was the first amongst four Arab nations to take steps last year to normalize relations with Israel after decades of hostility, followed closely by Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.
Biden administration officials stated that the Abraham Accords are not a substitute for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, a principle of American policy in the Middle East that the Democratic president has returned to after Trump abandoned it. However, U.S. officials say that the conditions are not favorable for pressing for a resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, which collapsed in 2014. Washington appears hesitant to take any action on the issue that could destabilize Israel's fragile ruling coalition.
