Former Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Yair Lapid Sunday warning of potential dangers to Israel's sovereignty posed by the proposed itinerary of US President Joe Biden's visit to Israel this week.
"This coming Wednesday, for the first time, US President Joe Biden will land in Israel. We always welcome every American president. The US President's visit to Israel is a very important political event. However, it already appears that the visit will include two unprecedented political concessions: Israeli consent to a Palestinian representation at the Allenby crossing and tacit consent (and even encouragement by Lapid's office) to Biden's visit to Palestinian institutions in East Jerusalem," Danon said.
"Biden is coming to Israel as part of a trip to the Middle East as part of which he will also visit Saudi Arabia where he will meet with representatives of Arab countries. For Israel, the visit comes at a very bad time. The Knesset has been dissolved, Israel is at the beginning of an election process and the Israeli prime minister is a transitional prime minister, lacking political experience who needs every bit of legitimacy and image of a leader to strengthen his position as part of his election campaign.
"In this situation, Israel has no ability to stand up for its interests in the face of American pressure for political concessions that comes along with the president's visit. The Americans recognize the weakness of the transitional government, and the teams already in the country are making concessions that they would never have dared to ask if Israel had a strong national right-wing government today. Lapid, it turns out, is willing to make sweeping concessions to please President Biden.
"An American president has never visited East Jerusalem. Neither Bush the father nor the son, not Clinton, not Trump and not even Obama. The meaning of such a visit is to give the green light to the Americans to challenge Israel's sovereignty in Jerusalem. Lapid as interim prime minister has no mandate to allow such a move.
"As Israel's ambassador to the UN, I headed many delegations of diplomats who came to visit Israel, including two UN secretaries. There, too, there has always been a desire to include a tour of Palestinians in East Jerusalem. It never happened. We have always known how to prevent such moves while conveying quiet but decisive messages.
"I call on Lapid today to refrain from political concessions for a photo op with the President of the United States.
"Lapid, you have no mandate to relinquish Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem," Danon concluded,