Latest editorial
The US consulate in Jerusalem
THE United States announced the closure of its Jerusalem consulate today — a move condemned by Palestinian official Saeb Erekat as “the final nail in the coffin” of Washington’s role in any peace process between Israel and Palestine.
The consulate had carried out functions of an embassy to Palestine, which is not recognised as a state by the US. However, following President Donald Trump moving the US embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the State Department said the consulate would be “folded into” the new embassy.
Spokesman Robert Palladino said the move “does not signal a change of US policy on Jerusalem, the West Bank or the Gaza Strip” — but it places responsibility for relations with Palestine under control of its ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, who is a supporter of and fundraiser for Israel’s illegal settlement programme in the occupied West Bank.
The US relationship with Israel has evolved into a strategic liability, argues RAMZY BAROUD
Taking a brief look at who the US president surrounds himself with reveals a team dedicated to the complete erasure of Palestine, not justice and civil rights for its people, writes TERRY HANSEN
