The Biden administration is determined to open a Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem and a Jew is leading the charge
Ariel Kahana
Israel Hayom
October 17, 2021
Washington's plans to forcibly open a Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem are set to be the greatest humiliation Israel has ever experienced.
The Americans are well aware of Israel's opposition to the move. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made that much clear in a meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House.
Speaking at a conference hosted by The Jerusalem Post last week, Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar said: "I want to be perfectly clear: We oppose it. I heard that for the president, it's a campaign promise. For us, it's the promise of generations."
According to international law, the opening of a diplomatic mission or the altering of its status requires the written signature of the host country's foreign minister – who in this case is Yesh Atid party head Yair Lapid. Even if Lapid, who has sworn his allegiance to a unified Jerusalem countless times, was willing to align himself with the administration's stance, he knows his authorization of the move would lead to the government's collapse. That is why he has shifted to an opposing stance.
Nevertheless, with Lapid by his side, the US secretary of state announced in Washington: "We'll be moving forward with the process of opening a consulate as part of deepening of those ties with the Palestinians." Or in other words, we have decided to show contempt for Israel's position.
Blinken has not offered such a condescending stance on Iran, the Palestinians, the Chinese, or any other US partner outside of Israel. He is doing this out of spite toward a government that believes former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu believes soured relations with the Democrats and sought to "turn a new page" with the US government.
And what do the Israelis get in return for their effort? A stinging slap in the face from the Americans.
The Americans know that no country in the world has a consulate and embassy in the same city, let alone a diplomatic office for another political entity. Would anyone ever contemplate Britain operating a consulate in Washington from which it would manage its ties with Canada? There's no such animal. Furthermore, both American and Israeli law recognizes unified Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
The Americans are currently building a huge diplomatic mission in Ramallah. There is no reason why it shouldn't serve its ties with the Palestinians, as is the case for many countries around the world. There are other suggestions for a compromise on the table. For example, the Reut Group has proposed the US reopen the Palestinian mission closed by former US President Donald Trump in Washington as compensation. The dictator that is Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is undeserving of such a prize, yet this would still be a lesser evil.
And if the US administration believes it is so urgent to shove a Palestinian mission smack in the middle of that which has been the focus of the Jewish people's yearning for millennia, they could at least show some respect and position it in Abu Dis, which is situated outside of the capital's municipal limits. The security issues there are less serious than those in places like Kabul, for example.
Any other move would amount to US discrimination against Israel. That would be a shame because discrimination against Israel would be a double-edged sword. It would be a return to the days of former US President Barack Obama, when the trauma of Afghanistan was still fresh, and see Washington once again send the message it harms its friends and is not a reliable ally.
Ben Cohen (L) and Jerry Greenfield
Before he goes ahead with the move, Blinken should also call famous ice-cream makers and fellow Jews Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. They, too, did to Jerusalem and Israel something no one else had ever done before. Their actions resulted in huge financial losses and an embarrassing Axios interview that went viral and left them stammering in front of the cameras.
The Ben & Jerry's cofounders could not explain why out of all the countries in the world, Israel alone was deserving of their harsh stance. They have been labeled antisemites online. Should he realize his plans, Blinken will be remembered as the Jew who divided Jerusalem, and that is not exactly a legacy to be proud of.
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