Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett holds a quality league astatine the Government Press Office in, Jerusalem, Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021. (Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool Photo via AP) (Ohad Zwigenberg)

TEL AVIV – The Palestinians connected Sunday slammed Israel for rejecting the promised reopening of the U.S. consulate successful Jerusalem, a determination that would reconstruct Washington's main diplomatic ngo for the Palestinians successful the contested city.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said precocious Saturday determination was nary country successful Jerusalem for different American mission.

The Trump medication shuttered the U.S. Jerusalem consulate, an bureau that for years served arsenic the de facto embassy to the Palestinians. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has pledged to reopen it, a determination that Israel says would situation its sovereignty implicit the city. The reopening could assistance mend U.S. ties with the Palestinians ruptured nether Trump.

In a statement, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said it views the reopening of the consulate arsenic portion of the planetary community's commitments to ending Israel's decades-long concern of territories the Palestinians question for their aboriginal state.

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“East Jerusalem is an inseparable portion of the occupied Palestinian territory and is the superior of the authorities of Palestine. Israel, arsenic the occupying power, does not person the close to veto the U.S. administration’s decision,” the connection said.

Asked astir the consulate astatine a property conference, Bennett repeated Israel's presumption connected Jerusalem.

“There's nary country for different American consulate successful Jerusalem,” helium said. “Jerusalem is the superior of 1 authorities and that's the authorities of Israel.” Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid suggested the consulate could alternatively beryllium opened successful the Palestinian administrative halfway successful Ramallah, West Bank. The Palestinians cull the thought due to the fact that it would undermine their claims to Jerusalem.

Israel views Jerusalem arsenic its eternal, undivided capital. The Palestinians question the eastbound portion of the city, which Israel occupied successful 1967 and aboriginal annexed, arsenic superior of their hoped-for state.

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The consulate is emerging arsenic different trial betwixt Bennett's authorities and the Biden administration, which has moved to reconstruct accepted U.S. overseas argumentation toward Israel and the Palestinians aft the Trump White House mostly sided with Israel connected issues related to the conflict.

Trump had downgraded the consulate's operations and placed them nether his ambassador to Israel erstwhile helium moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to the beatified metropolis successful 2018. The embassy determination infuriated the Palestinians and led them to sever astir ties with the Trump administration.

Blinken has not provided a steadfast day for the reopening and U.S. officials person implied that Israeli absorption to the determination could enactment arsenic a hindrance.

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