Washington has announced a major change in its diplomatic strategy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with the Office of Palestinian Affairs to be incorporated into the US Embassy in Jerusalem.
State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce confirmed on Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has authorized the move to incorporate the office which has long overseen Washington’s relations with the Palestinians into the overall embassy framework in Jerusalem.
Part of the transformation includes the Office of Palestinian Affairs reporting directly to US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. According to Bruce, the merger will occur over the next few weeks and all operations previously managed by the stand-alone Palestinian office will remain within the consolidated embassy structure.
The action is bound to be interpreted as an extension of Washington’s policy realignment after it recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2017. The critics accuse the move of further marginalizing Palestinian diplomatic presence in the area, while supporters argue that it consolidates diplomatic activities under a single umbrella.
No other statement has yet been made as to how such a transition could influence US dealings with the Palestinian Authority or other Palestinian forces in the West Bank and Gaza.
