General Secretary of the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO) executive committee slammed the US administration for shutting down on Monday its consulate in Jerusalem and merging its entire diplomatic mission to its new embassy.
It is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to undermine Palestinian citizens’ status, Saeb Erekat stressed.
He said the decision reflects Washington’s fanatic ideology that denies the right to self-determination.
Erekat described the move as “the last nail in the coffin” of the administration as a sponsor of the peace process.
The consulate, which serves Palestinians, has worked for 175 years in Jerusalem-Palestine, and its closure has nothing to do with its performance, the Palestinian official noted.
From now on, Palestinians will have a unit in the new US Embassy to follow up their cases. The US consulate published in Arabic, Hebrew and English languages a statements saying: “All visa services are available at the US Embassy in Jerusalem.”
This step follows US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s announcement in October 18 that the two missions and teams would be combined.
Pompeo explained back then that the goal is to improve “efficiency,” noting that this is not a change in policy.
However, Palestinian officials considered it a new step taken by the US against Palestinians, following Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2017 and his decision to move his country’s embassy to Tel Aviv in May 2018.
Israeli media described the new step as a further blow to Palestinians as it reduces the US diplomatic representation and shows a sign of decline in the Palestinian status.
The consulate represented the official US diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza as an independent mission under the direction of the Consul General, who heads the mission.
It also provided services to US citizens in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.
The historic building of the consulate is expected to become the residence of US Ambassador David Friedman, a pro-settlement and unpopular diplomat to the Palestinians.
