RJC Applauds House Republicans Who Oppose Reopening Jerusalem Consulate

Washington, DC -- The Republican Jewish Coalition applauds House Republicans, led by Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY-1), for their opposition to the Biden administration's plan to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem that served Palestinians.

RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks said:

Two hundred Republican members of the House, including all of the GOP leadership and key committee leaders, signed a letter led by Rep. Lee Zeldin to strongly voice their opposition to reopening the US consulate in Jerusalem.

We applaud them for pointing out that reopening the consulate would be inconsistent with the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which recognizes Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel and established our embassy in Jerusalem. Under the Biden administration's planned action, the US would have two separate diplomatic missions in Jerusalem, one to Israel and one to the Palestinians, giving implicit support to the idea of redividing the city.

Such a move would represent a serious change in US policy toward Israel. It would also be a significant reward to the Palestinian Authority, which to date has not stopped inciting hatred and violence against Israel and paying salaries to terrorists and their families.

The RJC worked actively to build support for this letter and we are grateful that so many of the members we reached out to endorsed this statement of unwavering support for Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel. Like their Republican colleagues in the Senate who cosponsored Senator Bill Hagerty's bill to uphold the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, they are demonstrating the strong, principled, Republican support of our ally Israel and of the vital US-Israel alliance. Truly, the pro-Israel party in America today is the GOP.