At the request of Israel, the Biden administration has decided to hold off on reopening the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem to the Palestinians until after Israel’s new government passes a budget. The decision comes at the request of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Israeli Foreign Ministry. US Department Spokesman, Ned Price said: “When it comes to the reopening of the US consulate, Secretary Blinken was clear on this when he visited Jerusalem and Ramallah, earlier this year. He noted then that the United States will be moving forward with the process to reopen our consulate in Jerusalem and will do so as part of our effort to re-establish that partnership with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority precisely because it allows us to engage with them.” He also commented on the settlement activities in the Palestinian territories: “We have been clear and consistent on that. We believe it’s critical to refrain from unilateral steps that increase tensions and make it more difficult to advance a negotiated two-state solution. For further details, click here