Palestine outcry as US downgrades diplomatic mission

The United States downgraded its diplomatic mission to the Palestinians on Monday, the latest in a series of steps by President Donald Trump’s White House that Palestinian leaders say aims to wipe out their cause.

The move, following a decision announced in October, closes the US Jerusalem consulategeneral that had acted independently and served as a de-facto embassy to the Palestinians since the Oslo accords of the 1990s.

It will be merged with the US embassy to Israel, where a new Palestinian affairs unit will operate.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the move will not constitute a change in policy and is intended to improve “efficiency and effectiveness”.

But the change means Washington’s relations with the Palestinians will now fall under the authority of US ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who has been a supporter of Israeli settlement building in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian leaders castigated the consulate closure but Israeli officials had not commented on the move on Monday.

The State Department has not confirmed reports the consulgeneral’s residence in Jerusalem will become the home for the US ambassador as part of the embassy’s move to the disputed city, which occurred in May, causing controversy. Trump has also cut more than $500m (R7.12bn) in Palestinian aid in a bid to force Palestinian leaders to negotiate.

The White House is expected to unveil its plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace sometime after Israel’s April 9 elections.