The tension between Israel and the United States in the consulate affair with the Palestinians in Jerusalem stems, among other things, from a lack of coordination between Prime Minister Bennett and Foreign Minister Lapid, Israel Today told a political source involved in the relationship between the government and the administration in Washington.
According to the source, Foreign Minister Lapid gave his American counterpart, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, an early commitment that the move could be implemented.
According to the source, Lapid made the promise in one of the first phone calls between the two, shortly after the government was formed.
In the conversation, Lapid noted that due to the sensitive political structure of the government, it is better to open the consulate only after the transfer of the state budget in the Knesset, since then the stability of the government will be ensured.
Blinkan accepted Lapid's position, promoted the process of opening the consulate in the State Department but agreed to wait until the budget was approved in the Knesset.
However, about a month after the formation of the government, contacts began between Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's advisers and the administration on the issue. .
In these talks, the two clarified that Bennett opposes in principle the opening of the consulate regardless of the political timing and even after the budget is approved in the Knesset.
The American administration was very surprised by the position of the two and was disappointed by the inconsistency in the position of Israel.
According to the political source, "One of the reasons Blinkan announced last week that he intended to open the consulate precisely when Lapid was by his side and when he knew that Israel was opposed, was that Lapid misled him."
Foreign Minister Lapid and Secretary of State in Linken, Photo: Shlomi Amsalem
Foreign Minister Lapid claims that things are not right and that he opposes the opening of the consulate all the way.
Lapid also denies the knowledge that in the event that no agreement is reached between the parties, the Americans will open the consulate unilaterally.
The Prime Minister's Office stated: "The Prime Minister's consistent position since the beginning of his tenure has been and remains that there is no place for a consulate in Jerusalem. This position was conveyed both during the Prime Minister's visit to Washington and through the Political Adviser The Americans, including on his successful visit to Washington. "
The US Embassy in Jerusalem and the US State Department declined to comment.
"Dangerous step"
MK Nir Barkat (Likud), who has been dealing with the issue of the Palestinian consulate that the Americans intend to open for two months, reiterates that there is an agreement between the government and the government that the move will be made after the state budget is approved.
According to Barkat, "The agreement with Lapid and Bennett is that the Americans will not act before the budget passes, to allow the government to continue to exist, but after the budget passes the plan is for the new ambassador, Mobils, who will arrive in Israel, to open the Palestinian consulate unilaterally. The opening of the Palestinian consulate is to establish Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and to promote the establishment of a Palestinian state. "
As you may recall, over the weekend it was reported in "Israel Today" that the United States intends to announce the resumption of operations of the compound to the Palestinian consulate, and that senior government officials strongly oppose the move, which is seen by Israeli officials as a symbolic expression of future division of Jerusalem and possible recognition as Palestinian capital.
