Palestinians await reopening of US consulate in East Jerusalem
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shteyyeh during his press conference in Ramallah on November 10, 2021. AP - Majdi Mohammed
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2 min
The Palestinians are awaiting the reopening of an American consulate responsible for Palestinian affairs in East Jerusalem, the Arab part of the city annexed by the Hebrew state.
Closed by Donald Trump, US President Joe Biden has pledged to reopen it.
Unsurprisingly, the Israelis oppose it.
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With our correspondent in Jerusalem,
Sami Boukhelifa
In Ramallah, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh held a press conference on Wednesday.
And for him, "
Washington does not need the green light from Israel
" to reopen its consulate.
Obviously delighted to have turned the page Donald Trump who recognized Jerusalem as the indivisible capital of the State of Israel, he now expects Joe Biden to make a real break in his policy in the Middle East.
“
For us, an American consulate for the Palestinians in Jerusalem will have significant political significance.
We want this consulate in Jerusalem to be the future US embassy in the State of Palestine.
And I'm sure the United States doesn't need anyone's permission to reopen this consulate.
East Jerusalem is a territory illegally occupied by Israel, in violation of international law
”;
he said.
A first American consulate in Jerusalem in 1844
Mohamed Shteyyeh reminds us: Israel was created in 1948. The first American consulate in Jerusalem dates from 1844. The Palestinian Prime Minister also wants Washington to put pressure on the Hebrew state
to put an end to colonization.
“
Verbally condemning colonization is not enough.
Because Israel says to the whole world: say what you want, and I do what I want.
The United States and Europe can exert economic pressure.
The Americans could, for example, put in place economic sanctions on the products of the colonies
”, suggested the Prime Minister.
►Also read: 2020, a record year for colonization in the West Bank
The Palestinian Authority also expects more financial support from Washington.
American aid had been drastically reduced under the administration of Donald Trump.
They have since been restored, but they still do not reach their previous level.
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