The US Jerusalem consulate for Palestinians formally merged with embassy

The US consulate on Agron Street in Jerusalem, which served as a de facto embassy to the Palestinians since the Oslo accords of the 1990s – and reported directly to the State Department – was integrated formally on Monday with the US embassy in Jerusalem. Diplomatic ties with the Palestinians will be subject to US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said when announcing the merger in October that it was intended to improve “efficiency and effectiveness” and did not constitute a change in policy. “There will be complete continuity of US diplomatic activity and consular services during and after the merger,” the State Department said. “We will also engage in a wide range of reporting, outreach, and programming in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as with Palestinians in Jerusalem, through a US Embassy Palestinian Affairs Unit.”

The Palestinian Authority, which has frozen contact with the Trump administration, condemned the merger as downgrading the Palestinians’ status and rights and driving the “last nail in the US role in the peace industry.”