Member Of US Consulate In Yerushalayim Named Instigator In Rift Over The Kosel

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The American official who sniped at his Israeli counterparts that the Western Wall, the holiest place for Jews to pray, is not part of Israel and not Israel’s responsibility was named Tuesday in a TV report as David Berns, the political counselor at the US Consulate in Jerusalem. A second US official, the consulate’s economic counselor Jonathan Shrier, was also involved in the bitter diplomatic incident, which deteriorated into an angry shouting match, Channel 2 said.

The TV report predicted that Berns’ job might now be under threat, since the incident embarrassed the Trump administration ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to Israel next week.

According to the report, the angry exchanges began when the Israeli team working with their American counterparts on preparations for Trump’s visit asked whether Netanyahu could accompany the president when he goes to the Western Wall, a key expected stop on his May 22-23 visit to Israel and the West Bank. No serving US president has ever visited the Western Wall, because US policy has been that the final status of Jerusalem has yet to be resolved in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

The US officials reportedly rejected the request for Netanyahu to join the visit to the Wall, saying it would be “a private visit” by the president and that he would go on his own. The Israelis then asked whether a TV crew providing live coverage of the Trump visit could at least continue to film here there.

At this point, the TV report said, a senior American official rudely responded: “What are you talking about? It’s none of your business. It’s not even part of your responsibility. It’s not your territory. It’s part of the West Bank.” Read more at Times of Israel.

{Matzav}

 


5 COMMENTS

  1. Everyone knows that the US Consulate in Jerusalem is an awful place. They hate Jews and love the Arabs. So, no surprise here.

  2. The ugliest part of it is that that Mr. Berns “happens” to be Jewish, just as the second official in this fiasco is.
    They have an insatiable urge to prove to the Arabs that they are more pro-Arabic than the Muslims themselves are. This, somehow, would establish their impartiality. Feh.

  3. Repeat after me: “Israel are their own worst enemy”. They just can’t seem to get out of their own way, no matter who the President is. They don’t know how to leave well enough, alone. They are such akshonim. Am kshei oref.

    • Dear broken record, demonstrate by your own example how not to be an akshon: next time someone tries to steal your family’s heirloom, don’t protest and don’t file a police report. Just because you don’t care for Eretz Yisroel as much as you care for your money, doesn’t give you some kind of superior wisdom. In fact, it’s the opposite.

  4. First get rid of the reform women of the walls monthly visits. If you can’t show respect for a holy place you don’t deserve it. I’m

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