Israel Decides To Keep Its Philadelphia Consulate Open

By Steve Tawa

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A local campaign to keep the Israeli consulate in Philadelphia up and running has produced a good result: Israel's Department of Foreign Ministry has decided to keep the center city consular office open.

Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's minister of foreign affairs, broke the news by writing Mayor Nutter a letter from Jerusalem.

In recent weeks, reports began surfacing that Israel was considering closing its Philadelphia consulate (see previous stories), prompting an online petition as well as a letter-writing campaign by the mayor, the governor, and local members of Congress.

Mayor Nutter recently led a delegation of business and academic leaders to Israel on a ten-day trade mission.