US State Department announces plans to combine Jerusalem consulate with its embassy in March

Sputnik
Wed, 20 Feb 2019 07:14 UTC

© AP/Sebastian Scheiner

President Trump on screen at the opening of its Jerusalem Embassy in May, 2018.

The United States will go ahead with its plans to combine its Embassy and Consulate in Jerusalem in March, State Department spokesperson confirmed to Sputnik on Tuesday. "I can confirm it," the spokesperson said when asked to confirm reports that the change would go into effect in March.

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo announced last October that the US would combine its Embassy and Consulate General in Jerusalem into one diplomatic mission to boost its efficiency.

US relations with the Palestinian Authority have traditionally been conducted through the Consulate General in Jerusalem, making the mission a de facto embassy for Palestine, which the United States has not yet officially recognized as a state.

Pompeo said the United States would continue to do full range of reporting, outreach and programming both in the West Bank, Gaza and with Palestinians in Jerusalem via a new Palestinian Affairs Unit inside the Jerusalem Embassy, which will be overseen by the US ambassador to Israel.

US President Donald Trump relocated the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in May 2018.

Comment: As with the US embassy move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and its suspension of financial support to UNRWA, the Palestinians will see this consolidation as a further betrayal by the United States. The U.S. is clearly on Israel's side. So when Kushner releases Trumps 'peace plan', what are the chances they will accept it as a show of good faith? Not likely.

See also:

• U.S. suspends $125mn UNRWA payment to Palestinian Authority
• Jerusalem mayor to remove UN agency for Palestinians from the city
• There is a deeper, more evil agenda afoot as the US cuts UNRWA aid to Palestinian refugees
• Trump wants to cut aid to UN agency to force Palestine into talks with Israel - Abbas spokesmen responds: "Jerusalem not for sale"
• Trump administration reports it has finished its Israeli-Palestinian peace plan