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Israeli coalition split on US plans to reopen consulate for Palestinians

Ra’am chair Mansour Abbas called on the US administration to advance the reopening of a consulate in Jerusalem for Palestinian affairs, despite opposition from the Bennett-Lapid government.

Consulate
People cross a street as they walk past the then-US consulate building complex in Jerusalem on Dec. 12, 2017. — THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images

Reopening the American consulate for Palestinian affairs in Jerusalem is increasingly becoming a disagreement point, not only between Israel and the US, but also within Israeli politics and inside the coalition. Interviewed by the army radio station Nov. 10, Ra’am chair Mansour Abbas said, "The United States has already recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, so it would be appropriate to have a balancing act. If this step contributes to establishing peace, then all the better."

Abbas' statement comes only four days after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid presented a united front against such a move.

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