Does US need Israel's permission to reopen consulate in Jerusalem? | All you need to know

At a time the status of the two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict continues to remain uncertain, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett reiterated that his administration would not allow the US to reopen its consulate in Jerusalem. The Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, however, claimed that the United States does not need Israel’s permission to reopen its consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem, The Times of Israel reported.

The consulate is the only base for Washington to reach Palestinians and vice-versa. Earlier in January, immediately after taking office, US President Joe Biden had vowed to reopen the consulate which was shut down by his predecessor, Donald Trump. However, with PM Bennett's opposition, it remains far from realisation. 

Does US require Israel's permission to reopen consulate in Jerusalem?

According to Deputy Secretary of US State for Management and Resources, Brian McKeon, Washington would require permission from Israel to start any diplomatic services on its territory. While the White House has been pulling all stops to gain permits, PM Bennett has opposed the move labelling it as “unacceptable” and said that he wasn’t trying to score “any political points” there, as reported by Axios.

The Israeli Prime Minister's remarks came on Thursday while addressing a delegation of Democrats whose trip to Israel has been sponsored by the J Street,  an organisation in the United States which aims to promote American leadership to end the Arab–Israeli and Israeli–Palestinian conflicts peacefully and diplomatically.

Conflict over consulate in Jerusalem

The US consulate in Jerusalem was established before Israel captured the city in 1967, making it non-exclusive to any side. However, with the formation of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent opening of the US Embassy in Tel Aviv, the US consulate in Jerusalem started providing services to ‘stateless’ Palestinians. In 2018, then US President Donald Trump announced the relocation of the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby merging it with the consulate. However, Joe Biden after taking oath as US President had announced its reopening.   

USA's stand on Israel-Palestine conflict

While Joe Biden has refrained from showing blatant support to any side, his predecessor Donald Trump, a close ally to former Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu, had shown support to Tel Aviv’s claim over Jerusalem. Soon after assuming office in 2016, Trump had announced the relocation of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and also subsumed the consulate in the mission.

However, President Biden promised to reopen the consulate and establish communication with Palestinians. Under a plan proposed by Trump, Israel would have been allowed to annex 30% of West Bank to incorporate settlements and the Jordan Valley. However, Biden has blatantly denounced the zionist agenda of annexation, albeit he nodded to protect Israel’s security and sovereignty. Golan Heights, which Israel annexed after the six-day war and Trump recognised as a part of Israel, remain particularly important.  

(Image: AP)