Shapiro to Netanyahu: Keep Philly Embassy Open

from the inbox:

Josh Shapiro, chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, is urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to keep the Israeli Consulate in Philadelphia open.  Recently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it is considering closing the consulate.

            In a letter dated November 26, Shapiro wrote that the consulate “is critical to the continuance of the longstanding relationship between the people of Israel and our region.”  Shapiro went on to say that the consulate “is of vital importance to our respective nations’ common interests and its continued operation will serve to enhance the mutually beneficial economic and business connection between Israel and our region in Southeastern Pennsylvania.”

            In the letter, Shapiro references Netanyahu’s upbringing in Montgomery County during which the future Prime Minister graduated from Cheltenham High School.  “The Greater Philadelphia region is an economic hub for Israel, processing 25 percent of Israel’s nearly $20 billion in exports to the United States each year,” Shapiro wrote, adding that the presence of the Israeli Consulate in Philadelphia is integral in that process.

            Shapiro is active is many Jewish and pro-Israel organizations in the area.  He has traveled to Israel six times, and has met Netanyahu twice.