On Monday, on the instruction of Foreign Minister Israel Katz, the Spanish embassy in Tel Aviv was informed that from June 1, the country's consulate in Jerusalem is forbidden from providing services to residents of the West Bank and is henceforth permitted to serve Jerusalem only.
Israel Katz, currently in his second term as Israel's top diplomat, explained: "We will not remain silent in the face of a government that rewards terror and whose leaders Pedro Sanchez and Yolanda Diaz chant the antisemitic slogan 'From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.'
"Those who reward Hamas and attempt to establish a Palestinian terror state will have no contact with the Palestinians. The days of the Inquisition are over. Today, the Jewish people have a sovereign and independent state, and no one will force us to convert our religion or threaten our existence - those who harm us, we will harm in return."
Forced conversions? Inquisition? Could he have been more absurd or less diplomatic? If his historical-hysterical statements were not enough, his actions undermine Jerusalem's standing.
Countries open consulates when it is difficult to do everything from the capital. Thus, in addition to the embassy in Washington, Israel maintains eight consulates in the United States, among them New York, Los Angeles and Miami. Consulates, which are officially under the auspices of their country's embassy, handle documents such as passports, promote bilateral trade and other matters on the local level, and so on.
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez
(Photo: Borja Puig de la BELLACASA / LA MONCLOA / AFP)
Not so the consulates in Jerusalem, a unique creature in world diplomacy.
Their history begins in the 19th century when the weakening of the Ottoman Empire tempted countries to obtain a foothold. Consulates continued to operate during the British Mandate (1917-1948). In 1947, the United Nations resolution to partition Palestine envisaged Jerusalem as a separate body ("corpus separatum") under international rule. Following the ensuing war, Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan.
Officially, internalization remained on the books. Many countries did not recognize the reality on the ground - for them, Jerusalem was one city, without a country. Most consulates had branches in both parts of Jerusalem. They were headed by one consul, who had to cross the border in order to get from one office to the other.
Following the Six-Day War in 1967, the West Bank was separated from the Kingdom of Jordan and the remaining consulates undertook dealings with the local population. The Oslo Accords and other developments expanded their activities - to all intents and purposes, they became embassies to the territories.
The very existence of consulates in this format reflects the absence of recognition of Israel's sovereignty over Jerusalem. Israel chose to avoid confrontation with friendly countries and reconciled itself to the situation. It didn't exactly turn a blind eye, but kept the legal standing of the consulates and its interactions with the consuls to the barest necessary minimum.
What did the foreign minister do? He made a full-blown announcement that the activities of the Spanish consulate (and by implication all others) are legitimate, and it even has its own region of authority – Jerusalem. He thus effectively approved the separation of the capital from the rest of Israel, which falls under the responsibility of the embassy.
Tova HerzlMoreover, 40% of Jerusalem's million residents are Arabs, mostly citizens of Jordan. In a move that is sure to erase the painful memory of the Inquisition and halt antisemitism, Katz declared officially that it is just fine if these Jerusalemites are handled by a structure whose very existence is based on not recognizing Jerusalem as part of Israel.
I have a few questions for the honorable minister. What will prevent the Spanish consulate from providing an internet visa to a resident of Bethlehem, or using the mail to register a Spanish baby born in Ramallah? Sweden recognized Palestine about a decade ago; have you taken any action against its consulate? If and when Britain, France and especially the United States will follow in their footsteps, will you order the same punitive steps? If the Palestinian Authority is responsible for Hamas' actions, why do you not start the six-month clock to cancel the Oslo Accords, which are the basis for the PA's establishment?
And finally, other than scoring a few points in your political base, how was your step beneficial?
- Tova Herzl is a former Israeli ambassador to South Africa and the Baltic countries, and served as liaison between the U.S. Congress at the Israeli Embassy in Washington