VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

America  plans to reopen its Consulate in Palestinian Jerusalem. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken made this statement on Tuesday local time. Previously, the US Consulate was closed in 2019. The closure was carried out while President Donald Trump was still in office. In 2017, Donald Trump also recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and then moved his embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. At that time, several countries such as Russia, Germany, Ireland, Malta, Mexico, Portugal, Australia, Poland and Sweden rejected the invitation to inaugurate the transfer, whether for technical reasons or principles.

The status of Jerusalem is one of many highly emotional and controversial issues that have sparked the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Both sides claim the city as their capital. As a background, when Britain's mandate on Palestine ended in 1947, the United Nations passed a resolution calling for an Arab-Palestinian state and a state of Israel living  side by side safely and declaring Jerusalem an international city. But in the first Arab-Israeli war a year later, Israel captured the western part of the city of Jerusalem, and Jordan took control of the eastern part. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Israel succeeded in controlling east Jerusalem, and at the same time declared the city the capital of Israel. The American Embassy itself had been opened since 1948 in Tel Aviv, while in Jerusalem there was an American consulate office.

The conditions of the open conflict between Israel and Palestine have never subsided. Indeed, on May 21, a ceasefire was reached, but a few hours later, clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians occurred again.

Naturally, the world hopes that there will be steps to maintain and bring about peace which is jointly pursued. Both by the warring parties and the surrounding countries. According to the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, the US has taken steps to re-open its Consulate in Jerusalem as a form of support for Palestine. Something doubted by many, considering that the US has always stated that Israel is its main ally in the Middle East.

Hopefully there will be communication made both by the international community through the United Nations and other organizations so that there are steps that can reduce the Israeli and Palestinian conflicts.