US to reopen Jerusalem consulate, upgrade Palestinian ties

US plans to reopen a key diplomatic outreach office to the Palestinians. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged nearly $40 million in new aid — reversing key policies of the Trump administration as he moved to bolster the embattled Palestinian government in the West Bank. On his first official visit to the region, Blinken on Tuesday met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders with the immediate aim of shoring up last week’s cease-fire. He vowed to “rally international support” for the effort while also promising to ensure that none of the aid would reach Hamas.

Blinken expressed hope for creating a “better environment” that might one day yield peace talks. Blinken made clear that President Joe Biden will pursue a more even-handed approach to the region than former President Donald Trump, who sided overwhelmingly with Israel in virtually every area of disagreement with the Palestinians. Blinken said the US would reopen its Jerusalem consulate but he did not provide a firm date for the reopening but said that Michael Ratney, a senior US diplomat who has previously served as consul general in Jerusalem, would soon be returning to the region.

The US is trying to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who has been sidelined by recent events, in his rivalry with Hamas and on the international stage. Abbas heads the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, whose forces were driven from Gaza when Hamas seized power there in 2007. He now administers only parts of the occupied West Bank. Though deeply unpopular at home, he is seen internationally as the representative of the Palestinian people and a key partner in the long-defunct peace process.