Ahead of Biden Visit, U.S. Mission to Palestinians Rebranded in Symbolic Upgrade

Source: Haaretz and Reuters

Ahead of Biden Visit, U.S. Mission to Palestinians Rebranded in Symbolic Upgrade

The U.S. hopes Palestinians would be buoyed by efforts to distinguish between American diplomats serving Israel and the Palestinians, the latter of whom would report directly to Washington

Reuters and Ben Samuels
Jun. 9, 2022 5:40 PM

The U.S. diplomatic mission to the Palestinians in Jerusalem said on Thursday that it had been redesignated and will report directly to Washington "on substantive matters," signalling an upgrade in ties ahead of a planned visit by President Joe Biden.

The former "Palestinian Affairs Unit" (PAU) was renamed the "U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs" (OPA) under the move. Prior to becoming the PAU, it had been the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem and a focus of Palestinian statehood goals in the city.

Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, outraged Palestinians by formally closing the consulate and redesignating it as the PAU within the U.S. Embassy that was moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in 2018.

"The OPA operates under the auspices of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, and reports on substantive matters directly to the Near Eastern Affairs Bureau in the State Department," a spokesperson for the mission said.

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Read more: https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/2022-06-09/ty-article/.premium/ahead-of-biden-visit-u-s-mission-to-palestinians-rebranded-in-symbolic-upgrade/00000181-483e-da39-a3b9-dbbf4fd40000