Likud MK Nir Barkat landed in the United States on Friday for a public relations campaign against the reopening of the US consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem.

The former Jerusalem mayor has meetings scheduled in New York and Washington with members of both houses of Congress, during which he will present his position that the reopening of the US consulate in Israel’s capital city would set a dangerous precedent for the unity of Jerusalem.

Barkat maintains that allowing the establishment of a consulate to a foreign entity, the Palestinian Authority, is forbidden by Israeli law governing the status of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the seat of its government.

The existing European missions to the Palestinians in Jerusalem, including those of France, Italy, and Sweden, were established before the state of Israel was founded.

Barkat, who is the wealthiest member of the Knesset, coordinated his trip with the Likud party chairman but is paying for his own travel expenses.

According to a Ynet report on Thursday, Barkat was originally scheduled to depart Israel on Wednesday night, but as he waited for his flight at Ben-Gurion Airport, his fellow opposition members asked him to return to cast his vote against the Dayanim Law. Barkat returned to the Knesset, missed his flight, and bought new tickets.

With the coalition holding a razor-thin majority of 61, every vote counts, which means that both the opposition and coalition are dependent on each member being present for every vote.

Barkat is widely seen as a possible successor to opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu as head of the Likud.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)