A new resolution proposed by US Senators stated that the United States "should be represented by a single, diplomatic mission in Jerusalem," in opposition to the establishment of a new Palestinian consulate or diplomatic mission in Israel's capital.
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The Republican move, introduced by Sen. Mike Lee and 11 other GOP Senators, sought to express "the sense of Congress" over the issue, The Jerusalem Post (The Post) reported.
Last year, the Biden administration announced that it hoped to reopen a consulate general in Jerusalem dedicated to Palestinian affairs, which was closed during the Trump administration.
The Republican Senators noted that the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act "recognizes that Jerusalem is the undivided capital of Israel" and that the US embassy to Israel "should be in Jerusalem."
Under no circumstances should the US give radical extremist groups ground to stand on. A Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem would do that. @SenMikeLee resolution reaffirms opposition to any plan that would further embolden non-state actors & undercut our Israeli friends. 🇮🇱🇺🇸
— U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (@SenHydeSmith) March 25, 2022
"Jerusalem has served as the diplomatic capital of Israel for decades and has remained the cultural center of Israel and of the Jewish people for millennia," the proposal read.
The Senators further pointed to "bipartisan criticism" among US and Israeli officials over the plan to reopen a Palestinian consulate, and that the US embassy in Jerusalem's Palestinian Affairs Unit "already manages… the proposed responsibilities" of a consulate.
They added that opening and maintaining an "unnecessary consulate… would require a substantial expenditure of American taxpayer funds," The Post reported.
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In the text, Lee claimed that US President Joe Biden "risks upsetting allies, a delicate diplomatic balance, and the authority of law."
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith tweeted, "Under no circumstances should the US give radical extremist groups ground to stand on. A Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem would do that. @SenMikeLee resolution reaffirms opposition to any plan that would further embolden non-state actors & undercut our Israeli friends."
i24NEWS contributed to this report.
