Israeli coalition split on US plans to reopen consulate for Palestinians
Ra’am chair Mansour Abbas called on the US administration to advance the reopening of a consulate in Jerusalem for Palestinian affairs, despite opposition from the Bennett-Lapid government.
Reopening the American consulate for Palestinian affairs in Jerusalem is increasingly becoming a disagreement point, not only between Israel and the US, but also within Israeli politics and inside the coalition. Interviewed by the army radio station Nov. 10, Ra’am chair Mansour Abbas said, "The United States has already recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, so it would be appropriate to have a balancing act. If this step contributes to establishing peace, then all the better."
Abbas' statement comes only four days after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid presented a united front against such a move.
Speaking to the media on Nov. 6, Bennett said that “there is no place for an American consulate that serves the Palestinians in Jerusalem.” Bennett said that this position had been conveyed to Washington both by himself and by Lapid, adding, “We are expressing our position consistently, quietly and without drama, and I hope it is understood. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel alone.”
Lapid expressed a similar position, stating, "If the Americans want to open a consulate in Ramallah, we have no problem with that…. Sovereignty in Jerusalem belongs to one country alone, the State of Israel."
