In further proof the US intends to re-open a diplomatic mission to the Palestinians in Jerusalem once the Knesset authorizes the state budget, sources with ties to the White House told the Palestinian Al-Quds daily Washington planned to go ahead with the move despite pushback from Israel and some in the US Congress.
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According to the sources cited in the report, the de-facto embassy to the Palestinians will be opened "shortly" after the state budget is passed next month, in other words as soon as either November or early December.
The sources said US President Joe Biden's administration "was furious with Israel's policies" on expanding settlements in Judea and Samaria and was concerned by security tensions in the West Bank, in particular recent confrontations between Palestinians and settlers on Mt. Hebron.
Senior Israeli officials are adamantly opposed to the move, which the political echelon sees as a sign of the future partition of Jerusalem and its possible recognition as the future Palestinian capital.
According to the American sources, in the first stage, the White House plans to reach an agreement with Israel on the issue. Should those efforts fail, the government could take the unilateral step of reopening the consulate once the budget has passes and the government is likely to remain stable.
Israel has argued that if Washington is interested in opening a diplomatic mission to the Palestinians in Jerusalem, it should do so outside of the municipality's jurisdiction, for example, in the neighborhood of Abu Dis. The US has rejected that proposal outright.
Those in favor of reopening the mission argue it did not harm Israeli sovereignty in the city when it served as a de-facto Palestinian consulate in the past.
Former US President Donald Trump shuttered the mission in 2019. It currently serves as the official residence of the US ambassador to Israel.
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