U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs
The U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs is a division within the United States Department of State that is charged with contacts with the Palestinian Authority and with issues related to the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.[1]
Background
[edit]In 2019, the US Consulate General in Jerusalem was closed down as part of President Trump's policy of recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Palestinian affairs were transferred to the responsibility of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, and placed under the newly created Palestinian Affairs Unit.
Creation of the office
[edit]Following the US Presidential elections of 2020, US policy towards the Palestinian Authority shifted once more. In June 2022, as US President Joe Biden was interested in removing relations with the Palestinian Authority from the schedule of the US Embassy in Jerusalem, he created the Office of Palestinian Affairs within the Department of State. The office itself is located within the same building as the Embassy in Jerusalem, but reports to the Department of State in Washington independently.[2] The chief of the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs is George Noll.