In case you were worried that Biden and the State Department were not aggressively dealing with our country's enemies, have no fear. They are going after Israel big time. Wait, Israel is not an enemy? Israel was to Biden's former boss, Obama. I guess Biden learned well.
The Biden Administration is determined to open a Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem. But wait, isn't Jerusalem part of the State of Israel? Yes. In fact, Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. So how can the US open a Palestinian consulate in Israel without Israel's permission? They can't, under international law.
The US embassy in Israel is in Jerusalem, thanks to President Trump. It had been in Tel Aviv, which is not the capital city. Other presidents said they would move our embassy to Jerusalem, where it should have been, but never did. And our existing embassy does, in fact, also deal with Palestinian concerns. Not surprisingly, as Israel says Jerusalem is its capital city, the Israelis have opposed the opening of a Palestinian consulate there. As they have every right to do.
A very brief history. The Palestinians say they want a state on the so-called 1967 borders, the borders that existed between Israel and the surrounding Arab countries, before Israel defeated those countries in the Six Day War. But those pre-1967 war borders were of no legal significance. Rather, those were the borders that existed following Israel's war of independence; a war that was started by the surrounding Arab countries after Israel declared its independence in 1948. When the fighting ended in 1949, there was no peace treaty declaring boundaries. There was simply a cessation of hostilities.
The Old City of Jerusalem is in the eastern part of Jerusalem. At the end of hostilities in 1949, Jordan controlled the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and part of Jerusalem. When Israel was victorious in the Six Day War, all of Jerusalem was under its control. As an aside, under Israeli rule, all religions have access to their holy sites in Jerusalem. That was not the case under Jordanian Arab rule.
So, what does Secretary of State Antony Blinken think about getting Israeli approval for a Palestinian consulate on Israeli soil? He doesn't. Blinken: "We'll be moving forward with the process of opening a consulate as part of deepening of those ties with the Palestinians." I get that the US, EU and UN want to pursue a two state solution. But it is beyond outrageous for the US to open a Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem. Why not Ramallah, the city which houses the Palestinian Administrative Authority.
But here is a better idea yet. Why is the US rewarding the Palestinian Authority with any consulate? What have they done to merit that? Do they recognize Israel's right to exist, as the Jewish state? No. Have they agreed to stop attacking Israeli cities with rockets and missiles? No. But, you say, Hamas is doing that. So what?
If elections were held in the West Bank today (something that PA President Mahmoud Abbas has refused to do since elected to a four year term that began in 2005), would Hamas prevail over Fatah, the ruling party of the PA? Is that why Abbas has refused any further elections since 2005? If so, exactly who is Biden rewarding with the consulate? Abbas is 85 years old. Who takes over when he's gone? Hamas?
President Trump, of course, knew better. He moved the US embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. Democrats and progressives predicted a bloody war if he did that. Never happened. Because Trump made it clear that he stood with Israel. Trump recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Trump helped bring about the historic Abraham Accords, with four Arab countries to date establishing relations with Israel. And Trump did this while ignoring the Palestinians, telling them to not expect further aid until they stop using US tax dollars to reward Palestinian terrorists who kill Jews.
But that was Trump. Now we have Biden - Obama 2.0. Reward our enemies and punish our allies. Excellent.
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