By Dan Williams

JERUSALEM, (Reuters) – Israel stepped up opposition to President Joe Biden’s plan to reopen a U.S. Consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem. This suggests that such a mission should take place in the occupied West Bank.

Ex-President Donald Trump was a delight to Israelis, and an outrage to Palestinians. In closing Jerusalem’s consulate, Washington placed its staff at the U.S. Embassy in Israel. It moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018 and became the U.S. Embassy.

Palestinians desire East Jerusalem to be the capital of the future state. They saw the U.S. decision to relocate its Embassy as an attempt to undermine their aspiration. Israel, who captured East Jerusalem and made Jerusalem their capital in 1967, considers Jerusalem to be its undisputed capital.

Biden Administration has indicated that the goal is to repair relations with Palestinians. But it has not yet given a date.

“My position and it was presented by the Americans is that there should not be a U.S. Consulate serving the Palestinians of Jerusalem. Reporters were told by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that they are silently and consistently speaking out.

Yair Lapid (foreign minister) spoke next to Bennett and proposed reopening of the consulate at Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, which is the seat de facto government for Palestinians.

“If the United States wants to open a consulate at Ramallah, that is fine with us,” he stated.

Lapid’s remarks were rejected by Mahmoud Absbas, Ramallah’s spokesman.

“We won’t accept any U.S. consulates in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. That was what the U.S. administration had announced and had committed itself to doing,” Nabil Abu Rudeineh told Reuters.

Spokespeople representing the U.S. Embassy could not be reached for immediate comment.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary-of-State, stated last month that Washington will “move forward with the proces of opening a consulate in order to deepen those ties with Palestinians”, even though one of his top staff members said Israel’s rejection was an obstacle.

“My understanding is that we require the consent from the host country to open any diplomatic facilities,” Brian McKeon, Deputy Secretary for State for Management and Resources told the Senate during an inquiry on the consulate standoff.