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US Postpones Opening its Consulate in Jerusalem

A man walks next to a road sign directing to the US embassy in Jerusalem, February 18, 2019. (Reuters)
A man walks next to a road sign directing to the US embassy in Jerusalem, February 18, 2019. (Reuters)
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US Postpones Opening its Consulate in Jerusalem

A man walks next to a road sign directing to the US embassy in Jerusalem, February 18, 2019. (Reuters)
A man walks next to a road sign directing to the US embassy in Jerusalem, February 18, 2019. (Reuters)

The Israeli government asked the US administration to hold off plans to reopen its consulate in Jerusalem, claiming that such a measure would create “political difficulties” for the new government, according to officials in Tel Aviv.

Walla website quoted the officials as saying that Prime Minister Naftali Bennett recently asked Washington to delay reopening the consulate, saying that opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu is using the issue to portray the government as weak and unable to stand up to the Biden administration.

The US administration had announced its intention to reopen the consulate in Jerusalem, as a diplomatic representative specialized in dealing with the Palestinians, in reference to the change of policy of former President Donald Trump.

Trump closed the consulate in 2019, as part of punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority for rejecting the deal of the century.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced during his visit to Israel last May, prior to the formation of the new Israeli government, that the US administration would reopen the consulate in Jerusalem.

According to Walla, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked Washington to wait until at least after the summer to give the new government more time to stabilize.

Israeli officials believe the Biden administration understands the complexity of the situation and agreed to the request and will refrain from pressing it for the time being.

At the time, Netanyahu had requested during his meeting with Blinken, the reopening of the US Consulate in Ramallah or Abu Dis.

Blinken rejected Netanyahu's request and made clear that the administration wants the consulate to be in Jerusalem.

The former PM told Blinken that he intended to make political use of the case, noting that “if you insist on opening the consulate in Jerusalem, you are going to help me score political win.”

During a meeting of the Likud party parliamentary bloc early last month, Netanyahu said that "the dangerous left-wing government will not withstand the decision to re-establish an American consulate for the Palestinians in the heart of Jerusalem."

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Iraq: PMF Commemorates Victims of US Airstrike Five Years Ago

A photo of the commemoration published by PMF accounts
A photo of the commemoration published by PMF accounts
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Iraq: PMF Commemorates Victims of US Airstrike Five Years Ago

A photo of the commemoration published by PMF accounts
A photo of the commemoration published by PMF accounts

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), along with its affiliated factions, marked the fifth anniversary of a US airstrike that targeted Kataib Hezbollah bases in late December 2019.

The commemoration took place amid growing discussions in Iraqi political and public circles regarding the potential restructuring of the PMF and the integration of its members into other military institutions. These talks also include debates about dissolving armed factions associated with the “Axis of Resistance” or the possibility of military strikes against them by Israel.

The US airstrike in December 2019 killed 25 members and wounded 55 others from Kataib Hezbollah, part of the 45th and 46th brigades of the PMF. The strike was in retaliation for an attack on a base in Kirkuk that killed an American soldier.

On this occasion, the PMF and its factions held a “symbolic funeral,” featuring approximately 30 symbolic coffins that were paraded through Baghdad streets, culminating at the Martyr’s Monument east of the capital.

The 2019 airstrike escalated tensions between Washington and the PMF factions. It was followed by violent protests and an attack on the US Embassy in Baghdad by PMF members and affiliated groups. In response, Washington carried out a missile strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force (the external arm of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps), and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy chief of the PMF.

A source close to the PMF and its factions stated: “The symbolic funeral serves as a reminder of the victims of the US airstrike, reflecting the ongoing hostility between the two sides.”

“There is real concern within the PMF factions about what may come next, given the rapidly evolving regional developments and the fractures within the Axis of Resistance,” the source added.

Separately, the State of Law Coalition, led by Nouri al-Maliki, denied reports of forming a new militia.

“There is no truth to the claims that Nouri al-Maliki is forming an armed faction called ‘Sons of the State’,” a source from the State of Law Coalition stated in a press release.

The source added: “Al-Maliki believes in the importance of relying on official state institutions to safeguard the political system. He is a key architect of the state and the law and remains committed to the security framework of the state.”

This denial follows media reports citing Iraqi sources that claimed al-Maliki was planning to establish an armed group named “Sons of the State” to protect the country from potential future threats.