U.S. TO MOVE CONSULATE FROM EAST JERUSALEM

U.S. to move consulate from East Jerusalem
JERUSALEM -- The United States has quietly approved a plan to relocate its consulate from the eastern section of Jerusalem to a western Jerusalem neighborhood, with construction of the new facility already beginning and some in Israel worried the move may be related to the Jewish state withdrawing from eastern Jerusalem and giving the area to the Palestinians, WorldNetDaily has learned.

The U.S. has been debating for several years moving its consulate, currently located in a largely Arab eastern Jerusalem neighborhood, to the western, more Jewish section of the city, with talks intensifying as the Oslo peace process moved forward and Israeli-Palestinian negotiations culminating in Israel agreeing at Camp David in 2000 to give the eastern section of Jerusalem to the PLO to create its future state's capital. ...

The new consulate is scheduled to open in early 2007. The U.S. is maintaining the consular move is related to rising concerns over suicide attacks in Jerusalem and security threats in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood. The U.S. has now approved plans to move the consulate to the western Jerusalem neighborhood of Arnona, with initial stages of site survey and construction already commencing. ...

But some in Israel worry the consular move may be politically motivated. They charge the U.S. is transferring its facilities ahead of an ultimate Israeli withdrawal from eastern Jerusalem.