(JNS) Israel Kasnett - Ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's visit to the White House on Aug. 26, the U.S. "is going through an almost traumatic foreign policy setback in Afghanistan with implications for the entire Middle East," said former Israeli Foreign Ministry director-general Dore Gold, president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. "Now is not the time to experiment with new ideas in the peace process." "The main effect of the Afghan withdrawal is not that it occurred, but rather how the U.S. handled it. Many American allies from the UK out to the Far East are raising serious questions about America's handling of foreign policy." Gold noted that "there is always a cottage industry of so-called experts who have proposals they want their bosses to advance when an Israeli prime minister comes to town." Many of these "so-called experts" have in the past demonstrated their obsession to create a Palestinian state at all costs, even if it would pose a danger to Israel. Regarding the possibility of the U.S. reopening its consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem, Gold questioned why the U.S. would establish a Palestinian consulate in a location which has been under Israeli sovereignty since 1949. "It has huge implications for the future and it is something Israel will have to resist with all its diplomatic strength....The unity of Jerusalem is such a fundamental principle. It's a consensus issue."
2021-08-23 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive