Knesset advances bill banning the establishment of new consulates in Jerusalem
Israeli lawmakers advanced legislation to ban the establishment of new consulates in Jerusalem on Tuesday.
The Knesset
The bill, which the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee approved in its second and third readings, aims to reinforce Jerusalem’s status as Israel’s capital by prohibiting new consulates while promoting the establishment of foreign embassies in the city.
“The bill came to deal with the pressures exerted on the State of Israel within the framework of the current worldview that does not see Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel,” said MK Ze’ev Elkin, one of the bill’s sponsors.
Five countries currently maintain embassies in Jerusalem — the US, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo and Papua New Guinea — but most countries do not recognize the city as Israel’s capital and keep their embassies in Tel Aviv. More than 20 countries, mostly European, maintain lower-level consulates in the capital.
Russia and Israel signed an agreement in 2023 to establish a consulate in Jerusalem, which also resolved a long-standing property dispute.
In 2021, when reopening the US consulate in Jerusalem became a key goal of the Palestinian Authority and the Biden administration, Israel objected, saying a consulate serving Palestinians in Jerusalem violated Israeli sovereignty. Officials noted that residents of eastern Jerusalem were already receiving consular services at the US embassy. The consulate was closed in 2018 when President Donald Trump moved the embassy from Tel Aviv.
Numerous countries also maintain consulates and diplomatic missions in Ramallah.
The legislation moves to the Knesset plenum, which is expected to give its approval.
