by Hana Levi Julian [] - Arutz Sheva
The U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem is America's embassy to the Palestinian Authority, according to the U.S. Consul-General's response to a letter penned by an irate Jewish American.
Dr. Adam Splaver, a Florida cardiologist, wrote to the American Consul-General in Jerusalem on August 14 expressing outrage that the Consulate's website "did not mention Israel, projects in Israel, the people of Israel or the modern state of Israel. What it does mention is the numerous projects you have with the Palestinians and in their cities and towns."
The consulate building is located in the eastern section of Jerusalem, in an area restored to Israel's capital during the1967 Six Day War. The Palestinian Authority has repeatedly demanded that Jerusalem be recognized as the capital of any future Arab state established alongside Israel. For now, the PA has refused to come to the negotiating table unless Israel first agrees to freeze all construction, including building to accommodate natural growth, in all post-1967 areas of Jerusalem, as well as in all of Judea and Samaria.
Splaver, a former president of the Young Israel synagogue in Hollywood, Florida, wrote that he was "appalled," adding that he believed the omission was not the result of an error, but rather a deliberate statement.
"As an American and as a Jew, I must voice my objections to your political message and clearly, proudly, and defiantly state that a united Jerusalem was, is and will be the capital of the Jewish homeland called Israel," he added.
The reply, received Monday, August 17, speaks for itself:
"Thank you for your feedback on the U.S. Consulate General Jerusalem's Website
FB6660AFFA374CEC.htm>
Just to clarify, the Consulate General in Jerusalem is the principal representation to the Palestinian Authority. We also provide services to American citizens in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.
"The U.S. embassy to Israel is in Tel Aviv and is focused on the bilateral relationship with Israel. Their website is
http://usembassy-israel.org.il/ http://trailer.web-view.net/Links/0X7B1B76EB737B0714CB5D698684F4D99A10F1B9A00A6FBC59B577DAD1
BB4848456D42441F9F4DC3414FE8E586F3CBC503CC2CE91D7AF783B5FB666
0AFFA374CEC.htm >
The American Center in Jerusalem also provides information about the United States to the Israeli public. Their website is
http://usembassy-israel.org.il/ac/ < http://trailer.web-view.net/Links/0X221210F2346105787FEE21A0838F759DCE909648BE3C2CACF926
E5E31787FDEE62877337144F6E8C4FE8E586F3CBC503CC2CE91D7AF7
83B5FB6660AFFA374CEC.htm
"Jerusalem is a final status issue. Israel and the Palestinians have agreed to resolve its status during negotiations. We will support their efforts to reach agreements on all final status issues."
While the current seat of the PA government is in Ramallah, the United States government appears to already recognize the Palestinian Authority's claim to Jerusalem. At the same time, successive American governments have failed to officially recognize Israel's declaration of the city as its capital since 1948.
"I am surprised that more aren't aware of the de facto embassy [to the PA in Jerusale that the U.S. government has set up," Plaver said in an exclusive telephone interview Tuesday afternoon with Israel National News. "I am in shock!"
Comment on this story
http://trailer.web-view.net/Links/0X3ADB83E6E5D103BC7438C8A545CE831655A5A6759BABA92B00034CFD5E3
B45644286A75AB2ADC1754FE8E586F3CBC503CC2CE91D7AF783B5FB6660AFFA374CEC.htm
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Dear Friends of Israel,
We need your help. Please forward this critically important alert to your friends.
THE U.S. CONSULATE IN JERUSALEM SHOULD EITHER REFLECT THAT IT IS LOCATED IN ISRAEL'S CAPITAL AND SERVE ISRAELIS AS WELL AS PALESTINIANS, OR ELSE IT SHOULD RELOCATE TO A PALESTINIAN CITY
Many of you are concerned about this issue and brought it to our attention. We agree that it is a serious problem.
The U.S. has a Consulate in Jerusalem-but it is not for Israelis. Its primary function is to serve Palestinians, as the Consul General in Jerusalem admitted in a letter on August 17, 2009.
There is nothing on the Consulate's website about Israel, Israelis or Jews, or about the fact that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. The website, in effect, erases any Jewish or Israeli presence.
The U.S. government has refused to move its Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem even though Congress passed the "Jerusalem Embassy Act" in 1995, declaring that U.S. policy is that "Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel." The U.S. State Department should not pervert this policy with an office in Jerusalem that intentionally undermines the Jews' 3,000 year history, presence and rights to the city.
The U.S. should not seem to be giving tacit recognition to the Palestinians' controversial claims to Jerusalem, a Jewish majority city for over 150 years, and possibly prejudice future Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.
If the U.S. Consulate's purpose is to serve Palestinians, it should be relocated to Ramallah, the political and economic center of the Palestinian Authority, or to the Palestinians' largest city, Nablus.
PLEASE WRITE AND CALL THE STATE DEPARTMENT, THE WHITE HOUSE, AND YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO EXPRESS YOUR OPPOSITION TO THIS UNDERMINING OF JEWISH RIGHTS AND HISTORY IN JERUSALEM.
Look over the Jerusalem Consulate website: http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/index.html
Bring up the following points when you write or call:
Why is there nothing about Israel on the website, given that the office is located in Israel's capital?
The U.S. works closely with the Israeli government, Israeli companies, and the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, particularly in Jerusalem. This should be reflected on the website.
If this Consulate only serves the Palestinians, it should be located in a Palestinian city like Ramallah or Nablus, not in the Jewish-majority city of Jerusalem which is the capital of the Jewish State.
PHONE NUMBERS AND ADDRESSES
U.S. State Department:
Email from this site:
http://contact-us.state.gov/cgi-bin/state
Your Congressperson's phone and email can be found at: http://www.congress.org/congressorg/officials/congres s/?lvl=C&aZip=&search=GO
The White House --202-456-1111 (Line open from 9 AM to 5 PM)
You can email President Obama from this site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
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