The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs slammed Israel’s refusal to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem on Sunday, which was initially closed under the leadership of the former president. The consulate will serve as a Palestinian diplomatic mission. Donald TrumpManagement.
Earlier this year, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Brinken Pledge to reopen the consulate to repair the damage caused to the Palestinians After the Trump administration mainly supported Israel on conflicts in the region.
According to a Reuters report, Brinken once again announced at the State Department on October 13th: “We will advance the process of opening a consulate as part of deepening relations with the Palestinians.”
However, the Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett It has repeatedly stated that the country will reject such a move and stated that there is “no room” for another American mission in Jerusalem.
“Jerusalem is the capital of a country, that is the State of Israel,” Bennett added Saturday night, according to Associated Press.
The government subsequently suggested that a consulate could be opened in the Palestinian administrative center in the West Bank. But on Sunday, the Palestinians rejected the proposal and stated that Israel has no right to prevent the second mission of the United States.
“East Jerusalem is an inalienable part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and is the capital of the State of Palestine. Israel, as the occupying power, has no right to veto the decisions of the US government,” the statement said, according to the Associated Press.
Jerusalem has long been a controversial city in the region. Israel sees the entire city as its capital, while the Palestinians want East Jerusalem to be the capital of their future country. East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip and West Bank were occupied by Israel during the 1967 war.
Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2017 and announced that he planned to move Jerusalem to U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to the Holy City.
According to the Associated Press, during this move, the then president reduced the operations of the US-Palestinian consulate and placed it under his ambassador to Israel. The controversial relocation prompted the Palestinians to cut most ties with his government.
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The Biden administration said last month that it will reopen the consulate while retaining the existing embassy. However, Brinken has not provided an exact date for the reopening, and officials pointed out that Israel’s opposition may complicate matters.
United States Department of Management and Resources Deputy Secretary of State Brian McKeon (Brian McKeon) said Senate The Foreign Relations Committee stated in October that he believes that the reopening of the consulate requires the “consent of the host government”. Times of israel Report.
The Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister also said last month that the Biden administration may stop plans to reopen the consulate on the grounds of “political complexity.”
“I believe I have good reasons to think this will not happen,” According to Reuters, Itan Roll told Israel’s Ynet TV. “Our relationship is very good… We don’t believe in surprising them. I don’t think they will try to surprise us.”
Nevertheless, Biden vowed to help restore US-Pakistan relations by restoring economic assistance and humanitarian support to the Palestinian people.
US Acting Ambassador Richard Mills said in a statement: “Under the leadership of the new government, the US policy will be to support the two-state solution agreed by both parties, that is, Israel and a viable Palestinian state live in peace and security. .” Earlier this year.
Weekly newspaper The White House and the U.S. State Department were contacted for more comment, but no response was received in time.
