The Palestinian Authority on Sunday, November 7, strongly criticized Israel's decision to reject the reopening of the US diplomatic mission to the Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem as promised. The reopening of the US consulate is aimed at reviving Washington's important diplomatic mission for the Palestinians in the city.
The administration of former US President Donald Trump has closed the US consulate in occupied East Jerusalem, which has served as a kind of embassy for the Palestinians for years. US Secretary of State Anthony Blankenship promised to reopen it, but Israel has rejected it.
The reopening of this diplomatic mission could help improve US relations with the Palestinians, which the Trump administration completely ignored. But Israel says the US move challenges its sovereignty over the city.
The position of Palestine
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that it saw the reopening of the consulate as an expression of the international community's commitment to ending Israel's decades-long occupation of the area. Palestinians want to see the region as the capital of a future state.
The statement added, "East Jerusalem is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory and the capital of the Palestinian state. As an occupying power, Israel has no right to veto the US administration's decision. "
What did Israel say?
Earlier on Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said there was no place for the Palestinians to open a US diplomatic mission in East Jerusalem. "There is no place for another American consulate in Jerusalem," he said. Jerusalem is the capital of a state and that is the state of Israel. "
On the other hand, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lipid said that a diplomatic mission for the Palestinians could be opened in their own central area of Ramallah. However, a spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rejected the Israeli foreign minister's proposal.
"We will accept the US consulate in the capital, Jerusalem, for a Palestinian state," presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rozina told Reuters. That's what the US administration announced and promised to do. "
Israel occupied East Jerusalem after the 1967 war and now claims that undivided Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, while the Palestinians want their East Jerusalem back and they want the area to be the capital of the future Palestinian state. Want to make
US seeks to improve relations with Palestinians
Former US President Trump generally supported Israel unilaterally in all matters and closed the US diplomatic mission to Palestine in East Jerusalem. However, the Biden administration promised to reopen it, and the issue is now becoming a test for relations between the new Israeli prime minister and the Biden administration.
Trump moved the US embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018. The Palestinian Authority has expressed outrage at the decision and cut off almost all ties with the United States in protest.
The US Secretary of State has promised to reopen the diplomatic mission, but has not set a date or time. US officials say Israeli resistance could be a major obstacle
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