Likud Knesset member Nir Barkat is delivering on his promise to "agressively fight" the Biden administration's decision to open a Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem, a move he sees would be "disastrous" for Israel.
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On Saturday, Barkat turned to Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy demanding the government hold an emergency session to discuss the matter.
"Opening such a consulate would cause irreversible damage that would undermine Jerusalem's status as the capital of Israel," Barkat wrote to Levy.
"I was recently informed that the United States is intending to open a consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem in the upcoming weeks and that the Israeli government was willing [to go along with it], despite the fact that there is already an embassy in the city [that serves both Israelis and Palestinians.]
"In view of the urgency and the gravity of the matter, we would like the Knesset to convene for an emergency meeting," Barkat wrote.
His demand comes two weeks before Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's meeting with US President Joe Biden, planned to take place in late August. The two are expected to discuss, among other things, the matter of the Palestinian consulate.
The Biden administration has been working for weeks behind the scenes to persuade Israel to reopen the American consulate for the Palestinians. Israel Hayom learned that administration officials worked to delay a bill proposed by Barkat, which, if passed into law, would essentially prevent the move from materializing.
The legislation proposed by Barkat, a former mayor of Jerusalem, would ban any country from establishing a diplomatic mission in Jerusalem that is not a mission to Israel.
Barkat, who in July met with several Republican and Democratic congressmen and senators in Washington to explain the dangers of such a move, told Israel Hayom: "The act of establishing a Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem means recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. The administration's consent on this matter is disastrous. I intend to aggressively fight this dangerous decision. It is a red line that cannot be crossed. Jerusalem will remain the capital of unified Jerusalem for all eternity."
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