‘United States, High Stakes Merger’

The United States has decided to merge the US Consulate General in Jerusalem with its newly opened Embassy. This is the second instance of the US concentrating its diplomatic presence in the disputed city of Jerusalem. 

Background

As a long-standing tradition by US administrations, neutrality has been the foreground for recognition towards Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The Israel and Palestine have continued for a century around claims to the land that both parties claim legitimacy over. 

The United States of America, a key strategic ally of Israel, has always approached the conflict with neutrality. US support towards Palestine has continued to be directed towards a long-term interest and pacific settlement approach. 

The US and Israeli governments have disagreed on key issues on the past. However, in the interest of the strategic alliance between the two countries relations have always continued on favorable terms.

In light of the above when President Donald Trump announced the decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, decades of US neutrality towards the recognition of Jerusalem was overturned. In addition to the relocation of the embassy, the administration has made the decision to shift Palestinian operations to the embassy located in Jerusalem.

Assessment

The US consulate in Palestine has served as the de facto embassy to the Palestinians, holding direct lines of communications with Washington. The US Department of State attributed efficiency standards as reasons for making this decision with the pledge to “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 the US Embassy in  Jerusalem”

The decision to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem has in itself caused an outcry with the Palestinians leading to strained relations with the US. The decision made by President Trump has often been viewed as the preference of Israeli interest over Palestinian interest.

The Trump Administration has previously upheld the feasibility of the two-state solution and has even provided that peace in the middle east is a priority. The administration has continuously held that it has been deliberating upon a comprehensive peace plan for the middle east that would be released in the near future.

The move to place the US diplomatic mission to Palestine under the authority of its embassy at Israel is being viewed as an implicit undermining of the two-state plan and long-term peace process of the middle east. On similar lines, Ahmad Tibi, the Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset described the US move as "a negative development", calling it an insistence by the US administration to undermine Palestinian national rights.

Furthermore, The Trump administration upholds the decision on repeat inquiry as being “driven by global efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our operations,” Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo said in a statement. “It does not signal a change of U.S. policy on Jerusalem, the West Bank or the Gaza Strip.”

On similar lines, National Security Advisor, John Bolton recently called for the closure of the Palestinian Liberation Organization in Washington amidst calls by the organization for an International Criminal Court inquiry on actions undertaken by Israel. The NSA advisor has previously threatened the International Criminal Court with sanction over a alleged threat that the court poses to American interests. 

Analysis

Our analysis is that while the US Department of State is keeping the interests of the Palestinian people, Washington’s action is largely seen as favoring Israel.

The strategic interest that US hold with Israel are deeply rooted in the convergence of both economic and security interests between the two nations. Although Trump has publicly endorsed the two-state solution, his decision to merge the consulate will make the peace process more complex.We also  believe that the evangelical christians, a core support base for Trump,  strongly favors a close relationship with Israel.