US to merge Jerusalem consulate with new embassy

Washington - US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the Trump administration was committed to a peace effort between Israel and the Palestinians.

The United States will merge the US Consulate General, which serves Palestinians, with its new embassy into a single diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday.
"I am pleased to announce that following the May 14 opening of the US Embassy to Israel in Jerusalem, we plan to achieve significant efficiencies and increase our effectiveness by merging US Embassy Jerusalem and US Consulate General Jerusalem into a single diplomatic mission. I have asked our Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, to guide the merger," Pompeo said in a statement.
This decision "does not signal a change of US policy on Jerusalem, the West Bank, or the Gaza Strip", the statement added.
"As the President proclaimed in December of last year, the United States continues to take no position on final status issues, including boundaries or borders. The specific boundaries of Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem are subject to final status negotiations between the parties."
He said the Trump administration was committed to a peace effort between Israel and the Palestinians.

• MENA