US to merge consulate in Jerusalem with new embassy – Pompeo

The United States will merge its consulate-general, which serves Palestinians, with its new embassy into a single diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday. “This decision is driven by our global efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations,” Pompeo said in a statement. “It does not signal a change of US policy on Jerusalem, the West Bank, or the Gaza Strip.” The consulate-general in Jerusalem is the top mission for Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem for their capital. “We will continue to conduct a full range of reporting, outreach, and programming in the West Bank and Gaza as well as with Palestinians in Jerusalem through a new Palestinian Affairs Unit inside US Embassy Jerusalem,” Pompeo said. He added that the Trump administration was committed to a peace effort between Israel and the Palestinians, Reuters reports.