Marco Rubio Plans to Merge Palestinian Affairs with US Embassy in Jerusalem

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced plans to integrate the Office of Palestine Affairs into the US Embassy in Jerusalem. This was confirmed by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce during a press briefing on Tuesday.

“Secretary Rubio has decided to fully incorporate the Office of Palestine Affairs into other sections of the US Embassy in Jerusalem,” Bruce stated. “This decision reestablishes a unified US diplomatic presence in the Israeli capital, functioning under the Israeli ambassador.”

According to Bruce, US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, will initiate the required changes for this merger in the upcoming weeks.

“The United States remains dedicated to its historic ties with Israel, focusing on peace to bolster Israel’s security and improve life in the entire region,” she added.

The Biden administration had previously created the US Palestinian Affairs Bureau in 2022, reversing Trump-era policies that closed off relations with Palestinians in Jerusalem.

It’s worth noting that Biden’s move was viewed by some as rewarding Palestinian leaders after a series of violent incidents in May 2022, which included two Palestinians attacking Israelis in the town of Elad.

During Trump’s first term, a significant agreement known as the Abraham Accord was reached in 2020, establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab nations, including the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

The Israeli government voiced strong opposition to the idea of reopening a Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem, arguing that it would undermine the city’s status as Israel’s undivided capital.

The 1995 US Embassy of Jerusalem Act acknowledges Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and emphasizes that it should remain an undivided city. Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017, subsequently relocating the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem the following year.