US Senators In Meeting With Israeli PM Stress Need To Reopen Jerusalem Consulate

US Senators in Meeting With Israeli PM Stress Need to Reopen Jerusalem Consulate

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th September, 2021) Several US Senators in a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Friday stressed the importance of reopening the American consulate in Jerusalem.

"In our meetings today in Israel [with] Prime Minister Bennett and other officials we stressed the importance we place on reopening our consulate in Jerusalem to better serve Palestinians. This consulate was open for over 100 years before being cruelly shuttered by President Trump," Senator Chris Murphy said in a tweet.

Murphy met with Bennet alongside fellow Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal, Chris Van Hollen, and Jon Ossoff.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced in May that the US plans to reopen its Jerusalem consulate exclusive to the Palestinian territories, which was merged with the US embassy in Israel during the Trump administration. The consulate in East Jerusalem served as the US main diplomatic mission for Palestinians.

In contrast to the US Senators, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid on Wednesday called reopening the consulate a "bad idea" that could send the wrong message and destabilize the area.