US closes Office of Palestinian Affairs in Jerusalem
The move aims to reaffirm President Trump’s goal of a unified diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital.
The State Department's main building, located in Washington.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will integrate the Office of Palestinian Affairs into the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce announced at a news conference.
Rubio's decision aims to continue the diplomatic mission in Israel's capital that was established by President Donald Trump during his first term.
"Secretary Rubio has decided to completely merge the responsibilities of the Office of Palestinian Affairs with other sections of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem," Bruce said.
">The decision to merge the Department's Office of Palestinian Affairs with the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem is not a new idea. This decision was made by @POTUS to restore the vision he laid out in his first term of a unified diplomatic mission that will report to the U.S. Ambassador… pic.twitter.com/UUmC2GoNRW
— Tammy Bruce (@statedeptspox) May 6, 2025
He added that U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee will begin implementing the changes needed for the merger in the coming weeks.
The administration’s latest actions come amid worsening relations with the Palestinian people, particularly following Israel’s announcement to expand its war in Gaza just a day earlier.
Since 1995 the U.S. has recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem Act of 1995 recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and stipulates that the city remain undivided.
At the time, the Israeli government strongly opposed the reopening of the Palestinian consulate in Jerusalem, arguing that it would undermine the city's status as Israel’s undivided capital.
The Bureau of Palestinian Affairs is in direct communication with Washington
During his first term (2017-2021), President Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved the U.S. embassy there. As a result, the Palestinian Consulate General in Jerusalem was closed, and its operations were suspended. The consulate was rebranded as the Palestinian Affairs Unit, which was incorporated into the embassy.
The Trump administration also played a key role in brokering the Abraham Accords in 2020, which normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.
The Biden administration (2021-2025) chose not to reopen the consulate. However, in 2022, it renamed the Palestinian Affairs Unit back to the Office of Palestinian Affairs and restored its authority to engage directly with Washington.
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