[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Israel has once again expressed opposition to the reopening of the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, which the United States is pushing to upgrade relations with Palestine.
According to Bloomberg on the 2nd (local time), Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said in a speech the day before that the U.S. plan was a "bad idea," adding, "We believe it could destabilize this government, and I think the U.S. administration would not want that either."
The U.S. side did not issue any specific comments regarding Lapid's remarks.
Previously, former President Donald Trump, who had unilaterally supported Israel in the Israel-Palestine conflict, moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018.
Along with this, the Jerusalem consulate, which served as a diplomatic channel with Palestine, was closed, and its functions were reduced under the embassy's jurisdiction.
However, the Joe Biden administration, which supports the "two-state solution" (the concept that Israel and Palestine coexist as separate states), announced plans to restore the consulate in May as a sign of support for Palestine.
In response, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed opposition to the U.S. placing the consulate aimed at improving relations with Palestine under its own jurisdiction in Jerusalem.
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