RAMALLAH, Sunday, November 7, 2021 (WAFA) – Nabil Abu Rudaineh, spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, said today that the Palestinian leadership will accept nothing but a reopening of the US consulate in occupied Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine.

His statement came in response to remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet in which he said that there was no room in Jerusalem for a US consulate that serves the Palestinians, calming that the city was “the undivided capital of Israel.”

“The US administration has affirmed its continued commitment to reopening its consulate in East Jerusalem, and we were officially notified of that. We are waiting for this [reopening] to be implemented soon,” Abu Rudaineh said.

He continued, “Any Israeli attempts to obstruct the path of reopening the [US] consulate in the place where it was established in 1844 are rejected, and come in the context of Israel’s attempts to impose a policy of unilateral measures such as the internationally condemned settlement, along with the policy of killing and destruction, land grabs, and the expulsion of the Palestinian population from their homes.”

Abu Rudaineh stressed that Jerusalem, with its Islamic and Christian holy sites, will remain a sacred historical and religious place.

“This Israeli challenge to the US administration, the international community and international legitimacy confirms once again that it [Israel] has become an authority isolated from the course of history,” he pointed out.

“The path to peace is clear, which is the recognition of the rights of our Palestinian people. Achieving stability and security comes through achieving a just and comprehensive peace based on international legitimacy resolutions. This peace will not come at any price,” he concluded.

M.N