The United States will move ahead with its plan to reopen the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem

The United States will move ahead with its plan to reopen the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem as Washington restores ties with the Palestinians and commits to a two-state solution.

“As I said in May, we’ll be moving forward with the process of opening a consulate as part of deepening those ties with the Palestinians,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a Wednesday press conference. But he stopped short of providing a timeline.
The U.S. supports efforts to advance a lasting peace in the Middle East, Blinken added, and will continue to “strengthen all aspects of the U.S.-Israel partnership.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, left, and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyanin, right, appear at a joint news conference at the State Department in Washington, Oct. 13, 2021.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, left, and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyanin, right, appear at a joint news conference at the State Department in Washington, Oct. 13, 2021.

The top U.S. diplomat’s remarks followed his meeting with Israeli Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem has been closed since 2019, and Palestinian affairs have been handled by the embassy.

In May, Blinken announced the U.S. plan to reopen its consulate during a visit to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, where he held talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas