PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas
PA chairman Mahmoud AbbasReuters

The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Sunday slammed Israel for rejecting the promised reopening of the US consulate in Jerusalem.

“East Jerusalem is an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian territory and is the capital of the state of Palestine. Israel, as the occupying power, does not have the right to veto the US administration’s decision,” said a statement from the PA “foreign ministry” quoted on TRT World.

The statement came a day after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said they opposed the US opening a consulate for Palestinian Arabs.

"We oppose opening an American consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem. We have clearly told them this," Bennett and Lapid told reporters at a press conference.

Last week, the Israel Hayom newspaper reported that several US Democratic congressmen would appeal to US President Joe Biden, asking him to refrain from opening a consulate for the Palestinian Authority in Jerusalem. The congressmen wished to avoid publishing their names so that their letter would have a better chance of changing the administration's position.

Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) recently rallied 35 senators to submit a bill to the Senate to prevent the reopening of the US Consulate to the Palestinian Authority in Jerusalem.