Biden stated: The Palestinian Affairs Unit will be separated from the embassy in Israel
The Biden administration reversed the Trump administration's decision and took a symbolic step of separating US-Israel ties and US-Palestinian relations.
The Americans informed in advance the Palestinian Authority and Israel, which did not object.
The White House is considering a move to reopen the US Consulate in Jerusalem
Lightning Ravid
09/06/2022
Thursday, 09 June 2022, 13:46 Updated: 14:03
Share on Facebook
Share on WhatsApp
Share on Twitter
Share on Email
Share on general
Comments
Comments
In the video: Biden Bennett meeting at the White House (Photo: Reuters)
The Biden administration today (Thursday) reversed the Trump administration's decision and re-separated the department dealing with the Palestinian issue from the United States Embassy in Israel.
why is it important
This is an internal bureaucratic move within the US State Department, but it has a symbolic meaning of separating the ties between the United States and Israel from the United States' relations with the Palestinians.
The Biden administration is still interested in reopening the US Consulate in Jerusalem and sees this move as a small step in the right direction.
More on Walla!
Israel is pressuring the Biden administration to remove the NSO from the US Department of Commerce's blacklist
To the full article
More in foreign relations
Bennett has landed in Abu Dhabi, will meet with the incoming UAE president
Biden's arrival in Israel was postponed to July: "The visit is not sufficiently prepared in terms of its contents"
The natural solution to knee pain is closer than ever - with a refund from the health insurance fund
Interested in reopening the US Consulate in Jerusalem.
Biden (Photo: Reuters)
In the news
Yesterday, the name of the "Palestinian Affairs Unit" was officially changed to the "Palestinian Affairs Office" and from a department at the United States Embassy in Israel that reports to Ambassador Tom Nides, it became an independent office that reports directly to the Middle East Division in Washington.
The change appeared today on the Twitter and Facebook accounts of the "Ministry of Palestinian Affairs."
Behind the Scenes
Foreign Ministry officials said the Americans had previously updated Israel and the Palestinian Authority on the move.
Israel did not object.
reminder
A few months after the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem in May 2018, the Trump administration decided to close the US Consulate in Jerusalem, which was the US diplomatic mission to the Palestinian Authority.
The one who pushed the move with all his might was then-US Ambassador David Friedman who wanted to take advantage of it to lower the level of American representation in the Palestinian Authority and erase certain signs of sovereignty that Palestinians had in the eyes of the administration.
As part of Friedman's move, the consulate was closed and merged into the United States Embassy in Israel.
The American diplomats who worked at the consulate and dealt with relations with the Palestinians became a "unit for Palestinian affairs" at the United States Embassy in Israel.
They were subordinate to US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, their direct reporting channel to Washington was canceled and all telegrams sent to the State Department and the White House had to go through Friedman's approval.
The result was that the Palestinian perspective received the least attention in reports that flowed to Washington and that critical or problematic reports toward Israel were concealed or filtered early.
news
Political-political
Tags
Joe Biden
United States
Palestinians
