Former Consulate General of the United States in Jerusalem was shut down by ex-President Donald Trump in 2019.
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
WASHINGTON DC – The U.S. remains “committed” to reopening a consulate in Jerusalem that was shuttered by former president Trump in 2019, State Department spokesman Ned Price said Tuesday. Price was responding to a reporter’s question during a briefing at the State Department regarding a news report in the The Times of Israel reported that said the U.S. has scrapped the reopening of the consulate in East Jerusalem and instead is looking at appointing an American-based special envoy who would travel frequently there. Price denied part of the report and said the U.S. is discussing with both the Palestinians and Israel regarding the diplomatic facility’s reopening.
“What I can say is that at least part of your question or part of the premise you put forward is not accurate. We remain committed to opening a consulate in Jerusalem. We continue to believe it can be an important way for our country to engage with and provide support to the Palestinian people. We’re continuing to discuss this with our Israeli and our Palestinian partners, and we’ll continue to consult with members of Congress as well. Meanwhile, at this very moment, we have a dedicated team of colleagues working in Jerusalem, in our Palestinian Affairs Office, focused on engagement with and outreach to the Palestinian people.”
-State Department spokesman Ned Price
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo /©Diplomatic Times) State Department Spokesperson Ned Price briefs reporters at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. May 31, 2022.
U.S. Jerusalem Consulate Had Been Operating for More Than 100 Years Before Trump Shut it Down
(Photo by Gary Raynaldo /©Diplomatic Times) State Department Spokesperson Ned Price briefs reporters at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. May 31, 2022.
The Consulate General of the United States in Jerusalem was a diplomatic mission of United States of America that provided consular services to Palestinian residents in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. The unit’s diplomats used to serve independently from the embassy until former US president Donald Trump shuttered the de facto mission to the Palestinians in 2019, making consular services available through the US embassy, which had been relocated from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem that same year. Trump’s decision to relocate the American embassy to the Holy City created a firestorm of controversy. The action outraged Palestinians and sparked international condemnation. Palestinian leaders view East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. The Arab League condemned the embassy’s relocation a “blatant attack on the feelings of Arabs and Muslims” and a “grave violation of the rules of international law” that would destabilise the region.
A reporter at Tuesday’s press briefing asked Price what is the holdup of reopening the consulate given the U.S. had had a diplomatic presence in Jerusalem some 160 years (and a century before the state of Israel’s establishment) prior to Trump closing it. An American consulate in the holy city provided services to Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza since 1967. It has been more than a year into President Biden’s presidency since he first vowed to reopen the consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem.
“There are a number of steps that have to go into the reopening of any diplomatic facility. As you know, there are some, shall we say, unique sensitivities to this particular facility. And we are working through the issue with our Palestinian and Israeli partners.”
-State Department Spokesman Ned Price
Apparently, Israel is not too keen to see a U.S. consulate reopen for Palestinians in the Holy City anytime soon.
