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Published: 15:38, November 07, 2021
Israeli PM against reopening of US consulate in Jerusalem
By Xinhua
Published:15:38, November 07, 2021 By Xinhua

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks to reporters following a session at the Knesset (Israeli parliament), in Jerusalem on Nov 4, 2021. (AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP)

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Saturday that he was against the possible reopening of a US consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem.

Bennett spoke at a press conference in Jerusalem a day after the Israeli parliament passed the annual budget for 2022.

"There is no room for another consulate in Jerusalem," the Israeli prime minister said he told the US administration.

US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said at a news briefing on Wednesday that the United States had "been very clear" about its intentions to reopen the consulate for Palestinians

US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said at a news briefing on Wednesday that the United States had "been very clear" about its intentions to reopen the consulate for Palestinians.

Up until 2018, the United States had two consulates in Jerusalem, one for Palestinians and one for Israelis. After former US President Donald Trump "recognized the city as the capital of Israel," the two consulates were merged and housed in a new embassy.

ALSO READ: Blinken says US to reopen consulate in East Jerusalem

Relations between the US and the Palestinians soured during the Trump administration.

After US President Joe Biden entered the White House, he made several moves to improve relations with the Palestinians. One of the steps was the decision to re-open the consulate in Jerusalem for Palestinians. 

Jerusalem, which hosts sites holy to Judaism, Islam and Christianity, is the most explosive subject in the decades-old Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  

READ MORE: ICC says it has jurisdiction in Palestinian territories


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