Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the State Department to close its Office of Palestinian Affairs and fold it into the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.
“This decision will restore the first Trump term framework of a unified U.S. diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital that reports to the U.S. ambassador to Israel,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in Tuesday’s press briefing. “Ambassador [Mike] Huckabee will take the steps necessary to implement the merger over the coming weeks.
“The United States remains committed to its historic relationship with Israel, bolstering Israel’s security and securing peace to create a better life for the entire region.”
The Biden administration created the Office of Palestinian Affairs in June 2022 against Israel’s wishes, giving it with the power to operate independently of the U.S. Embassy, the Washington Free Beacon reported Tuesday.
As a senator representing Florida, Rubio helped rally opposition to the office and the Biden administration’s efforts to increase diplomacy with Palestinian leaders before Iranian-backed Hamas’ terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023. The office was highly criticized for its potential violation of the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, which required that a single U.S. Embassy be established in the Israeli capital.
Rubio will also eliminate the position of special envoy to the Palestinians along with the Office of Palestinian Affairs, the Free Beacon reported.
“This was something, actually, that had been established in Trump’s first term,” Bruce said. “So, this is not a new decision. It’s not a new idea. It, in fact, restores his first-term framework of a unified U.S. diplomatic mission in Israel’s capital that reports to the ambassador to Israel.
“So, this is something that was reversed by the previous administration that had already been established. Ambassador Huckabee, of course, is in charge, [and] will be taking steps to do this.
“But it also is not a reflection on any outreach or commitment to outreach to the people of the West Bank or to Gaza. It really is actually very similar to what’s happening here with the bureaus, with our reorganization. It is making sure that the issues that are important — all working together, right?
“Are not segmented out, so that the interests of the embassy, very much like the interests of our foreign aid and other actions, can work together in the bureau as one entity. And that was the intention of that, and again, it was established in the first term and now this is just being restored, effectively, to reflect the president’s vision,” Bruce said.
Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., who worked with Rubio in 2022 to shutter the Office of Palestinian Affairs, told the Free Beacon the move is crucial to enforcing President Donald Trump’s vision of a unified Jerusalem.
“I welcome Secretary Rubio’s efforts in the second Trump administration to reinforce President Trump’s historic first-term decision to fully implement the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 and relocate the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel’s eternal and indivisible capital of Jerusalem,” Hagerty said.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., also told the Free Beacon he supported the decision.
“I was a strong supporter of President Trump’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and was outraged when the Biden administration sought to undermine President Trump’s historic move,” he said. “I am glad to hear that the Trump administration plans to reverse course and restore the vital role of Ambassador Huckabee and important policy coordination in Jerusalem.
“I am grateful to Secretary Rubio for taking this step to support our great ally and friend Israel. Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States is once again a nation that promotes democratic values, stands up for our allies, and projects strength on the world stage.”
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