A group of 23 House Republicans introduced a resolution on Thursday against United States President Joe Biden's proposal to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem to provide separate diplomatic services for Palestinians.
The initiative was led by Congressman Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., who is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, co-chair of the House Republican Israel Caucus and one of two Jewish Republicans in Congress. The resolution came as Biden traveled to the Middle East.
"The Palestinian Authority has made it abundantly clear that its push for separate diplomatic outreach from the United States is for the purpose of dividing Jerusalem, which the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 was crafted to specifically prevent. The law states that Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of Israel and remain undivided," said Zeldin in a press release.
"The Biden Administration's proposal is a unilateral concession to the Palestinian Authority in exchange for no concessions in return, which has been proven to be a failed policy time and again. President Biden traveling to Israel with the intention of championing this flawed policy, that the Israeli government has expressly opposed, is a slap in the face to our nation's strongest ally and empowers bad actors in the region. Congress has a duty to make it clear to the Administration that it's attempts to circumvent the law will not be ignored or tolerated."
During his election campaign, Biden said that he would reopen the U.S. consulate, which then-U.S. President Donald Trump closed when he made the decision to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018.
On Wednesday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration would like to reopen the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, but stopped short of making any commitment.
"Obviously, that requires engagement with the Israeli government – it requires engagement with the Palestinian leadership as well," Sullivan said.
House Republicans have long sought to prevent the Biden administration's plans to reopen the consulate.
In a letter to Biden on November 1, 2021, 200 House Republicans expressed their opposition to Biden's proposal to reopen the consulate.
"House Republicans have come together to express our strong opposition to the Biden Administration's proposal to open a consulate general to the Palestinians in Israel's eternal capital, Jerusalem," the letter stated.
"Having a U.S. diplomatic mission to the Palestinians in Jerusalem would be inconsistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 that became law, and was reaffirmed in recent years, with overwhelming bipartisan support. This law stated Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of Israel and remain undivided. However, the Biden Administration's shameful move would have the unconscionable effect of undermining the United States' recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and signal support for dividing Jerusalem. Just recently, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority publicly stated that his reason for wanting this consulate opened is for the purpose of dividing Jerusalem."
Then, on November 17, 2021, more than 100 House Republicans introduced the "Upholding the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Law Act of 2021" to prohibit the use of funds for any diplomatic facility in Jerusalem other than the U.S. Embassy to Israel.
"President Trump followed through on his promise to formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move America's embassy there. Now, President Biden is seeking to reopen a consulate general and provide separate diplomatic outreach to the Palestinians. This violates the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which recognizes Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel," said House Republican Steve Scalise at the time.
This article originally appeared on ALL ISRAEL NEWS and is reposted with permission.