Blinken: "We Will Reopen the Jerusalem Consulate"... US Middle East Diplomacy Restoration Gains Momentum

Reopening of Palestinian Consulate Closed During Trump Era
Ambassador to Israel to Be Appointed Soon... US Resumes Middle East Diplomacy

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken announced that the consulate in Jerusalem, which was closed during the Donald Trump administration in 2018, will be reopened to elevate relations with Palestine. The Joe Biden administration is also expected to soon appoint an ambassador to Israel, a position that has remained vacant until now, signaling a full-scale restoration of U.S. Middle East diplomacy, which had been neglected due to the exit strategy from the region.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press on the 25th (local time), Secretary Blinken held a press conference after meeting with Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), in Ramallah, West Bank. He stated, "Our goal is to reopen the consulate in Jerusalem to elevate relations with Palestine," and emphasized, "As I told President Abbas, I am here to reaffirm the United States' commitment to reestablish relations with the Palestinian Authority and its people."

The Jerusalem consulate had served as a major diplomatic channel between the U.S. and Palestine but was downgraded under the Israeli embassy when the Trump administration moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018. In response to the Palestinian Authority's opposition to this move, the Trump administration completely closed the Jerusalem consulate.

Secretary Blinken also pledged that the U.S. would take the lead in supporting the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. He said, "We have decided to request $75 million in development economic aid from Congress for the reconstruction of Gaza," adding, "In addition, $5.5 million in emergency disaster relief and $32 million through UN agencies assisting Palestinian refugees will be provided." However, he drew a clear line by stating, "We will ensure that this support for Gaza's reconstruction does not fall into the hands of Hamas, which does not recognize Israel's existence."

Along with strengthening diplomatic channels with Palestine, an ambassador to Israel, a position that has remained unfilled, is also expected to be appointed soon. According to NBC News, the Biden administration is expected to appoint Thomas Nides, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, as ambassador to Israel. Thomas Nides, a prominent Jewish banker from Wall Street, served as Deputy Secretary of State during the Barack Obama administration in 2010. NBC News reported that Secretary Blinken’s strong recommendation, based on their previous work together during the Obama administration, played a significant role in this appointment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.