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After Embassy Move, Trump Weighs Jerusalem Consulate Changes

(AP) Josh Lederman and Matthew Lee - President Trump is considering giving U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman more authority over the U.S. outpost that handles Palestinian affairs, five U.S. officials said, a shift that could further dampen Palestinian hopes for an independent state. Any move to downgrade the autonomy of the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem - responsible for relations with the Palestinians - could have potent symbolic resonance, suggesting American recognition of Israeli control over east Jerusalem and the West Bank. And while the change might be technical and bureaucratic, it could have potentially significant policy implications. For decades, the Jerusalem consulate has operated differently than almost every other consulate around the world. Rather than reporting to the U.S. Embassy in Israel, it reported directly to the State Department in Washington, giving the Palestinians an unfiltered channel to engage with the U.S. government. "Consulate General Jerusalem continues to operate as an independent mission with an unchanged mandate from its historic Agron Road location," the State Department said in a statement.
2018-06-01 00:00:00
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