Israel warns US over plan to reopen Jerusalem consulate

Palestinian official dismisses warning, says Israel trying block any political solution to Israel-Palestine conflict.

Israel has said that the United States’s plan to reopen its consulate in Jerusalem is a “bad idea” and could destabilise Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s government. The previous administration of US President Donald Trump signalled support for Israel’s claim on Jerusalem as its capital by moving the US embassy there from Tel Aviv and shuttering the consulate, which has traditionally been a base for diplomatic outreach to Palestinians. It was among several moves by the Trump administration that incensed Palestinian leaders, who want East Jerusalem as capital of a future state.