The vast majority of the House Republican conference sent a letter on Monday to President Joe Biden objecting to his administration’s plan to reopen a U.S diplomatic mission for Palestinians in Jerusalem following Israeli opposition to the move.
The consulate was closed by the Trump administration in 2019 and absorbed into the U.S. Embassy, which moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Israeli officials have opposed the Biden administration’s plan to reopen the consulate, arguing it could destabilize Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s new government, while Palestinian officials accused the Israelis of trying to thwart a political solution.
EX-NYPD CAPT. ERIC ADAMS POISED TO CAPTURE MAYOR’S OFFICE OVER ‘GUARDIAN ANGEL’ CURTIS SLIWA
New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, co-chairman of the House Republican Israel Caucus, and one of only two Jewish Republicans in Congress, was joined in sending the letter by 199 Republicans, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise, and Rep. Elise Stefanik, House Republican conference chairwoman. All but 12 Republican members of the House joined the effort.
In a joint statement, Zeldin, McCarthy, Scalise, and Stefanik, as well as House Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Michael McCaul and House Appropriations Committee ranking member Kay Granger, said the conference has “come together to express our strong opposition to the Biden Administration’s proposal to open a consulate general to the Palestinians in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem.”
“Having a U.S. diplomatic mission to the Palestinians in Jerusalem would be inconsistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 that became law, and was reaffirmed in recent years, with overwhelming bipartisan support. This law stated Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of Israel and remain undivided,” the statement said. “However, the Biden Administration’s shameful move would have the unconscionable effect of undermining the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and signal support for dividing Jerusalem. Just recently, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority publicly stated that his reason for wanting this consulate opened is for the purpose of dividing Jerusalem.”
The lawmakers added, “Israel has also made clear its opposition to the consulate opening, with both the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister stating they are against a consulate being opened in Jerusalem.”
“The Biden Administration must immediately stop pushing this misguided effort,” the statement said. “Moreover, the Administration’s insistence is wrongly creating a rift between the United States and Israel, one of our closest and most important allies, and moves the region further away from peace.”
The letter also called the move inconsistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act, noting that Biden supported the legislation as a senator for Delaware.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier this month the Biden administration intends to move forward with its plan.
