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Israel has asked the United States to delay the opening of the consulate in Jerusalem so as not to make it difficult for the new government

Israeli officials said Israel had asked not to advance the move until after the summer so as not to create a political difficulty for the government.

According to them, the Americans understand the situation and the issue may come up again for discussion only in September.

Towards the end of his term, Netanyahu warned Blinken that he would make political use of the consulate issue

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• United States

• The American Embassy

• Benjamin Netanyahu

• Anthony Blinken

Lightning Ravid

Thursday, 01 July 2021, 09:43

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Israel has recently asked the United States to delay the process of reopening the US consulate in Jerusalem so as not to create political difficulties for the new government at the moment, senior Israeli officials said.

Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu used the consulate in recent weeks regarding his own political purposes to attack the new government that it can not stand up to President Biden Administration.

American consulate in Jerusalem served for over two decades US diplomatic representative to the Palestinians, closed at -2019 by former President Administration Donald Trump and poured into the United States Embassy in Israel after it was transferred to the capital.

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To the full article

Israel believes that the Americans will not pressure to advance the issue any time soon. Lapid and Linken at their meeting in Rome (Photo: Official website, Stefano Meloni and spokeswoman for the Israeli Embassy in Rome)

President Biden promised during the election campaign that he would reopen the consulate.

During his visit to Israel in May, a few weeks before the inauguration of the new government, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that the United States intends to do so soon.

Jerusalem State Department officials have in recent weeks approached the Washington State Department requesting that the Biden administration delay the embassy reopening process at least until the end of the summer to allow the new government to stabilize.

The current U.S. plan is to reopen the embassy at its former location on Agron Street in the west of the city.

Senior Israeli officials said that they understand the Biden administration understands the situation, accepts the Israeli request and will not pressure to advance the issue at this stage.

According to them, the issue may come up again for discussion in September.

The Israeli and American foreign ministries refused to comment.

"If you insist on opening it, just help me gain political points"

Blinken visited Israel after the operation in Gaza and met with Netanyahu, who was still serving as prime minister at the time, and discussed with him the issue of opening a consulate in Jerusalem.

Netanyahu requested that the consulate be opened in Ramallah or in the village of Abu Dis in the suburbs of Jerusalem.

Blinkan rejected his request and made it clear that the Americans want the consulate in Jerusalem.

According to a source who attended the meeting, at this point Netanyahu warned Blinken that he intended to make political use of the issue.

"If you insist on opening the consulate in Jerusalem, you will only help me gain political points," Netanyahu told Blinken.

In recent weeks, Netanyahu has done exactly what he told Blinkan he intends to do.

He attacked the Bennett government for not standing up to the Biden administration on the issue of the consulate.

"This dangerous left-wing government will not stand up to the decision to re-establish an American consulate for Palestinians in the heart of Jerusalem and thereby raise the issue of the division of Jerusalem again," Netanyahu said at a Likud faction meeting in early June.

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