US sparks anger in Palestine over merger of Jerusalem consulate with Israeli embassy

The decision by the United States of America to merge its Palestinian consulate with the newly opened embassy in Israel is sparking anger.

Reports say Palestinians are kicking against the move by the US to move its main diplomatic mission to Israel.

Palestinians also say the decision to merge embassy and consulate legitimises Israeli occupation.

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PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat issued a statement on Thursday decrying the US move. He said: “it has nothing to do with efficiency and a lot to do with pleasing an ideological US team that is willing to disband the foundations of (the) international system.”

Most Palestinians are also of the opinion that he move has symbolic significance because it effectively downgrades the standing of the consulate.

The US Department of State said on Thursday that merging the Jerusalem consulate with the newly opened Jerusalem embassy in Israel will achieve “significant efficiencies”.

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