From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
US opposes legislation banning new consulates to serve Palestinians in Jerusalem
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
WASHINGTON — The US has informed Israel of its displeasure over legislation passed by the Knesset yesterday banning the opening of new foreign consulates in Jerusalem that serve the Palestinians, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller says.
The law was largely seen as aimed at putting a further obstacle to the US reopening its consulate after former president Donald Trump shuttered the diplomatic mission to the Palestinians in 2019.
US President Joe Biden came into office pledging to reopen the mission but the move requires Israel’s acquiescence since the building is located in Israel’s sovereign territory in West Jerusalem. Successive governments have refused to sign off on the move, and yesterday’s legislation will likely make it even more difficult to carry out.
“We oppose that legislation, have made clear to them that we oppose the bill and continue to believe that opening a US consulate in Jerusalem would be an important way for our country to engage with and provide support for the Palestinian people,” Miller says.
He notes that the US continues to engage with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian Authority through its Palestinian Affairs Bureau in the US Embassy in Jerusalem and the Office for Palestinian Affairs in Washington, which was formed earlier during Biden’s tenure in order to boost ties with the Palestinians.
Asked whether the US would consider closing Israeli consulates throughout the US in retaliation for the move, Miller says this is not a move that Washington is considering.
