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Biden clarified to Bennett: The opening of the consulate in Jerusalem will not be abandoned
According to senior Israeli and American officials, the US president stressed at a White House meeting that this was his election promise.
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United States
Joe Biden
Naftali Bennett
American Consulate
Lightning Ravid
Thursday, 09 September 2021, 20:00
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US President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during their White House meeting about two weeks ago that he did not intend to abandon his plan to reopen the US Consulate in Jerusalem, according to senior Israeli and American officials updated in detail at the meeting.
The American Consulate in Jerusalem, established in the 19th century, managed relations between the United States and the Palestinian Authority for 25 years, until in 2019 it was closed by the Trump administration and merged into the United States Embassy in Israel. Its reopening appears to be an issue with the potential for creating tension between the White House and the new government in Israel.
Senior Israeli and American officials noted that Biden raised the issue of opening the consulate several times in his meeting with Bennett - both during their face-to-face conversation and in the complex meeting that took place shortly thereafter.
Biden stressed that reopening the consulate is an election guarantee he gave and stressed that Foreign Minister Blinken had already said in his voice during his visit to Israel in May that the consulate would reopen.
Bennett for his part made it clear to Biden that he opposed it but suggested that teams from both sides discuss it to find an acceptable solution on both sides.
The White House declined to comment on the details of the conversation between Biden and Bennett.
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Dispute over the consulate in Jerusalem, Bennett and Biden meeting about two weeks ago (Photo: Government Press Office, Avi Ohayon)
Senior government ministers see the consulate issue as a hot political potato that could undermine coalition stability. The Israeli government will have to give its consent to the reopening of the American Consulate in Jerusalem. If one of the coalition members defects due to the reopening of the consulate, the government could fall.
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, Justice Minister Gideon Saar and other ministers from the right wing of the government believe that reopening the consulate will infringe on Israel's sovereignty in Jerusalem. In addition, they fear that Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu will use the issue to attacks against the government and against them in a special way.
"If Biden administration Benjamin Netanyahu wants to stop the Pilates to return to office for a reopening of the consulate in Jerusalem is a good way to ensure this happens," he said A senior government official said Israel had clarified to the Biden administration its concerns about the negative potential of the consulate issue on government stability.
Will it reopen?
The American Consulate in Jerusalem in 2018 (Photo: Walla! NEWS system, Wikipedia)
The Biden government has already agreed once at the request of the Israeli government and delayed the procedures for reopening the consulate until after the transfer of the budget in the Knesset in November.
In a Zoom conversation with members of the Conference of Presidents of Jewish Organizations in North America, last Friday, Prime Minister Bennett said that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and is not the capital of any other country.
However, Bennett added that he advocates a "zero-drama" policy in relations with the Biden administration and seeks to resolve the issue in a quiet dialogue once the budget passes.
Last week, US State Department spokesman Ned Price said that the foreign minister's commitment in Linken from May to reopen the consulate in Jerusalem remained the same.
Despite Price's remarks, no progress is expected at this stage until November and both sides will have time to think of possible solutions that will prevent the potential crisis.
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