Statements by US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan about serious talks to open the US Consulate in East Jerusalem sparked controversy, forcing White House Spokesman John Kirby to deny the information, saying that there was “no change in US policy regarding a Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem.”
Kirby added that the national security adviser “was wrong when he told reporters that the United States wants to establish a consulate for the Palestinians in East Jerusalem,” which was shut down by former US President Donald Trump in 2019.
Sullivan had told reporters on Air Force One before landing at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv that the White House was interested in having an American consulate for the Palestinians in East Jerusalem, and that Biden would talk to Israeli leaders about reopening the consulate, which requires the approval of the Israeli government and coordination with the Palestinian leadership.
In addition, the US National Security adviser denied that Biden had official proposals to launch new peace initiatives, stressing that the US president would push efforts towards a vision that works for the benefit of the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Commenting on the expansion of Israeli settlements, Sullivan noted that the president was clear that his administration wanted to see useful steps that enhance the two-state solution.
“The President has been clear, the administration has been clear that we want to see steps that are helpful and advance the cause of a two-state solution. And we don’t want to see steps that set back or constrain the cause of a two-state solution. And we’ve said that, from our perspective, a range of activities are of concern to us, whether it be incitement to violence or payment to terrorists’ families or settlements, demolitions, evictions. All of this will be on the agenda over the course of the next three days.”
In another matter, the US administration’s efforts to resume negotiations to revive the Iranian nuclear agreement will be at the forefront of talks between Biden and Israeli leaders. Sullivan emphasized that the president would be frank about US diplomacy in the region, saying: “There is a deal on the table; it involves a mutual compliance-for-compliance return to the JCPOA. The President believes Iran should take it.”
He added: “At the same time, we are not holding back in terms of enforcing the sanctions. We have done two rounds of designations over the course of the last few weeks to crack down on smuggling and to increase the economic pressure on Iran. So the President’s policy has been clear and straightforward, and that’s how he’s going to lay it out for countries in the region, some of whom have different perspectives, obviously, including Israel. And he will make the case that from the view of the United States and the Biden administration, diplomacy is the best way to reach what is a shared goal of ensuring that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon.”
