US Consulate in Jerusalem. Jan 23, 2017. (Hillel Maeir/TPS)
“This would be unacceptable, shameful and wrong.”
By World Israel News Staff
Two hundred Republican lawmakers signed a letter addressed to President Joe Biden expressing “strong opposition” to his reopening the US consulate general in “Israel’s eternal capital” to provide separate diplomatic outreach to the Palestinians.
“Reopening the US consulate general in Jerusalem would be inconsistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 … by promoting division of Jerusalem,” the letter reads. “This would be unacceptable, shameful and wrong.”
The letter was led by New York Rep. Lee Zeldin. Others signed on the letter include House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (LA-1), House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (NY-21), House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican Michael McCaul (TX-10) and House Appropriations Committee Lead Republican Kay Granger (TX-12), among many others.
Specifically, the letter states that, “House Republicans have come together to express our strong opposition to the Biden Administration’s proposal to open a consulate general to the Palestinians in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem. Having a US diplomatic mission to the Palestinians in Jerusalem would be inconsistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 that became law, and was reaffirmed in recent years, with overwhelming bipartisan support.
“This law stated Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of Israel and remain undivided,” it continues. “However, the Biden Administration’s shameful move would have the unconscionable effect of undermining the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and signal support for dividing Jerusalem. Just recently, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority publicly stated that his reason for wanting this consulate opened is for the purpose of dividing Jerusalem.”
They said that Biden pushing to reopen the consulate moves the region further away from peace.
Biden has said that he wants to open the consulate despite Israeli opposition. Both Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid have stressed that they are against the move. The previous prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has also said he is against it.
The consulate was closed down by former US President Donald Trump after he moved the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to be in-line with the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, as mentioned above.
The full letter can be read here.
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