President Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett during the White House meeting that he will not abandon his plan to reopen the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, establishing an important point of restraint between administrations.
Why it’s important: The consulate managed relations with the Palestinians for 25 years before being shut down by Donald Trump. Senior Bennett government officials see the consulate issue as a political hot potato that could destabilize their heavy coalition.
Behind the scenes: Biden raised the issue of the consulate several times in his bilateral meeting with Bennett and in the extended meeting with his aides, Israeli and American officials tell me informed of the meetings.
- Biden stressed that he made a campaign promise to reopen it and that Secretary of State Tony Blinken had already entered the register with a commitment to follow suit.
- Bennett made it clear that he opposed this policy, but proposed that officials from both sides meet to work toward a solution.
Between lines: Several right-wing ministers, including Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked and Justice Minister Gideon Sa’ar say the reopening of the consulate would be a violation of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem. It is also a main point of attack for Benjamin Netanyahu, who is now the leader of the opposition.
- The Israeli government should give its approval to the reopening of the consulate. And if even one member defected the issue, the government could collapse.
- “If the Biden administration wants to see Netanyahu drop out of his Pilates classes and go back to the prime minister’s office, this is the best way to do it,” a senior official joked to me.
- The official said the Israelis had repeatedly expressed concern about the potential to destabilize the consulate issue in the Biden administration.
- The Biden administration previously agreed to delay the reopening of the consulate until after the Nov. 4 deadline for Bennett to approve a budget.
Flashback: Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2017 and later merged the consulate with the new U.S. embassy.
- The Palestinians also consider Jerusalem to be their capital. East Jerusalem, the location of the former consulate, is usually seen as the future capital of any Palestinian state.
What they say: “Jerusalem is just the capital of one country: Israel. I don’t want to go into details, but that’s my clear position,” Bennett said last Friday in a Zoom call with the Conference of Presidents of major American Jewish organizations.
- But Bennett added that he wants to have a “drama-free” relationship with the Biden administration and resolve things as calmly as possible after the budget passes in November.
- The Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Ministry said the government’s opposition to the consulate was a barrier to the peace process and was part of Israel’s efforts “to change the city’s historic and legal status.” .
- Last week, State Department spokesman Ned Price stressed that Blinken’s commitment, made in May during a visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, still holds true. The White House declined to comment on this story.
What follows: No action is expected on this issue before November, which means the parties have time to work to reach a mutually acceptable solution.