US Secretary of State Antony Blinken this morning announced that America will reopen its consulate in Jerusalem, to restore ties with Palestine that collapsed during former President Donald Trump’s tenure.
Palestinian leaders decided to boycott the Trump administration’s peace efforts over its decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv in 2018, upending decades of US policy.
The Trump administration went on to shutter the US consulate in Jerusalem in 2019, saying it was no longer needed because the new US embassy had taken over its functions.
❝We will continue to oppose any unilateral practice that leads to further violence between Israel and Palestinians❞
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken says Washington will reopen its consulate in Jerusalem and restore ties with Palestinianshttps://t.co/UaIP2lsPd8 pic.twitter.com/2BVzRYpuED
— ANADOLU AGENCY (@anadoluagency) May 25, 2021
Blinken said it would be “an important way for our country to engage with and provide support to the Palestinian people”.
However, he did not specify a date for its reopening. “We’re just beginning the process,” he said.
The announcement came after a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.
He said:
“As I told the president, I’m here to underscore the commitment of the United States to rebuilding the relationship with the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people, a relationship built on mutual respect and also a shared conviction that Palestinians and Israelis alike deserve equal measures of security, freedom, opportunity and dignity.”
#BREAKING | Secretary of State Antony Blinken says US aims to reopen consulate for Palestinians in #Jerusalem, reports news agency AFP
(file photo) pic.twitter.com/YmmZJsDi5v
— WION (@WIONews) May 25, 2021
He later announced tens of millions in aid to the Palestinians, including $5.5 million ($7.1 million) in emergency assistance for Gaza. “This relief is urgent. We have to respond to the profound needs of people at this moment,” Blinken said.
Abbas thanked the US “for its commitment to the two-state solution and maintaining the status quo on the Haram Al-Sharif [Al-Aqsa Mosque].”
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
