'Bad idea': Israeli FM slams Biden decision to reopen US consulate in Jerusalem

Israel has said that the United States’ plan to reopen its consulate in the contested city of Jerusalem is a “bad idea” and could destabilize newly appointed PM Neftali Bennett’s government. Jerusalem was annexed by Israel in 1967’s six-day war and has traditionally served as Washington’s base to reach out to Palestinians. While Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, Biden announced that he would soon open the American consulate, which has been closed since 2019.

What did Israel say?

Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, Israel’s Foreign Minister, Yair Lapid, said that opening a consulate in Jerusalem was a “bad idea” and said that the city solely belonged to Israel. It is worth mentioning that the United Nations does not acknowledge the disputed city as Israel’s capital.

 “We think it’s a bad idea. Jerusalem is the sovereign capital of Israel and Israel alone, and therefore we don’t think it’s a good idea. We know that the [Biden] administration has a different way of looking at this, but since it is happening in Israel, we are sure they are listening to us very carefully.“

The American Stance 

While Joe Biden has blatantly supported the Two-State Solution, his predecessor Donald Trump, a close ally to former zionist, PM Benjamin Netanyahu, had shown support to Israel’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, Biden promised to reopen the consulate and establish communication with Palestinians. 

Why is Jerusalem a flashpoint? 

The city of Jerusalem has been the bone of contention between the Arabs and the Jews for a century now. The old city of Jerusalem houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest place for Islam. The same land is also revered as the holiest in Judaism as Temple Mount.

Frequent flashpoints at the site have triggered not only a war of nerves but also ammunition between Palestinians and Israelis. Earlier in May, Israel and Gaza based Hamas engaged in an 11-day long war that led to more than 200 fatalities. 

Image: AP