Fatah official: By having its embassy in Israel absorb the functions of the local consulate, Washington is ‘punishing’ the Palestinians
Palestinians see the Trump Administration’s decision to merge the functions of the United States Consulate in Jerusalem with those of the Jerusalem-based American Embassy as a “mistake” and something that will undermine their right to self-determination.
“It’s a punishment to the Palestinian leadership, which refuses to accept what has been suggested by U.S. administration,” Ziad Abu Ziad, a media adviser for Mahmoud Abbas’ ruling Fatah faction, told The Media Line.
Abu Ziad claimed the decision reflected American policy in the entire region.
“The Palestinian position is solid,” he stated. “We need an international initiative that will implement international law and resolutions, as well as [United Nations] Security Council decisions.”
A U.S. official stated on Saturday that as of March 4, the consulate would be replaced by a body called the Palestinian Service Management Unit, which would operate as part of the embassy. Last October, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the aim was to improve the embassy’s “effectiveness” and did not signify a change in the status quo.
Since the Oslo Accords of the 1990s, the consulate, rather than the embassy, was the de facto U.S. legation interacting with the Palestinian Authority and providing services to Palestinians living in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
“The move neglects the Palestinian people’s right of self-determination,” Dalal Erikat, a leading Palestinian academic and columnist at the Al Quds newspaper, told The Media Line.
Erikat said that by making such a decision, the U.S. viewed the Palestinian people as a minority rather than a nation with the right to establish an independent state.
She added that the embassy official overseeing Palestinian affairs would ultimately be reporting to David Friedman, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, whom she described as a “settler” and someone “supporting illegal settlements.”
Many Palestinians view Friedman as being biased toward Israel, noting that he supported the construction of Israeli communities in the West Bank before he was named ambassador.
Nabeel Amro, a former Palestinian minister of information, told The Media Line that the lower profile would affect relations with the PA and Arab nations.
“The American administration shouldn’t have made such a decision,” Amro said. “It’s wrong.”
He noted that the move might have been meant to pressure the Palestinians to support the so-called deal of the century, the yet-to-be revealed plan by the Trump Administration for Israeli-Palestinian peace.