U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken flew to the Middle East this week to ensure that the ceasefire between Israel and Palestine remains after 11 days of tremendous fighting involving air strikes.
Sec. Blinken then announced on Tuesday that the U.S. expects to reopen its consulate in Jerusalem that was shuttered under the Trump administration. Upon reopening, the consulate will serve as an autonomous office tasked with maintaining diplomatic relations with the Palestinians.
"I'm here to underscore the commitment of the United States to rebuilding the relationship with the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinian people," Sec. Blinken said, as reported by CBN News.
The 59-year-old State Secretary described the relationship between the U.S. and Palestine as one that is "built on mutual respect and also a shared conviction that Palestinians and Israelis alike deserve equal measures of security, freedom, opportunity, and dignity."
During his visit, Sec. Blinken promised to "rally international support" for Gaza following the 11-day conflict that the United Nations said demolished 94 buildings and killed about 250 people, including over 60 children, mostly Palestinians. As a result, the State Secretary is promising millions in U.S. aid, pledging $5.5 million in emergency assistance for Gaza. Sen. Blinken argued, "This relief is urgent. We have to respond to the profound need of people in this moment."
USA Today reported that the White House is also requesting $75 million more in development and economic assistance for Palestine for the current fiscal year and has allotted $32 million for the United Nations' humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza.
This and more financial aid brings up the tally to about $360 million after former President Donald Trump stopped providing assistance as he was concerned it would help support terrorism in the hands of the Hamas militant group. Sec. Blinken however promised that any funding to support Palestinian ties will not end up in the hands of the Hamas militant group, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization.
The move to pledge millions in U.S. aid shows how the Biden administration is supporting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his fight against Hamas. President Abbas is the leader of the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, which previously governed over the West Bank but was pushed out from Gaza by the Hamas militant group in 2007.
The New York Times reported that the Biden administration's plans to strengthen Palestinian ties and their promises to provide millions in U.S. aid come with "risks" of "angering Israel," which they called "the most reliable U.S. ally in the Middle East." Israel and other nations are concerned that the Biden administration is eager to come to an agreement with Iran for a nuclear deal, one which Israel has long been opposed to.
The Biden administration finds itself between a rock and a hard place after Prime Minister Netanyahu reminded Sec. Blinken of the policies they had backed under the Trump administration, including the termination of the Iran nuclear deal and the Abraham Accords, an agreement brokered by the U.S. and signed by Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates.
