MK Oren Hazan announced Thursday morning that even before transferring the US embassy to Jerusalem there is an important step that must be taken immediately.
" I expect the Trump administration to act immediately to subordinate the American consulate in Jerusalem to the embassy in Tel Aviv even before transferring the embassy to Jerusalem," said MK Hazan in advance of the swearing-in ceremony of the US president.
Hazan said that in the present situation, the American consulate is not subordinate to the Tel Aviv embassy and acts as an independent consulate which provides services for Palestinians and is subordinate to the American embassy in Amman and the State Department in Washington.
"I call on President-Elect Donald Trump to change the present situation and subordinate the Jerusalem consulate to the embassy in Tel Aviv and to the Israeli desk in the State Department," said Hazan.
"Such a move would send the message that the US recognizes Jerusalem de facto as the capital of Israel even before it implements the move we are all hoping for- transferring the American embassy to Jerusalem."