The United States will for the first time provide passport services and other routine consular services inside an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, U.S. officials said on Tuesday, a move that comes at a time when Israeli settlement policy is under increased scrutiny and renewed political debate about its future.
U.S. officials, according to reports, said that consular services would be provided later this week inside Efrat, an Israeli settlement that is situated south of the Palestinian city of Bethlehem.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem said that this is part of an outreach to U.S. citizens living outside major diplomatic centers, and this service is part of its efforts to expand its services to U.S. citizens worldwide.
The U.S. Embassy spokesperson said that this is for the first time that U.S. consular services will be provided inside an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, and that other services will also be provided inside Palestinian population centers such as Ramallah, and Israeli cities such as Haifa.
The decision comes against the backdrop of a complex diplomatic situation. The majority of nations consider Israeli settlements in the territory occupied in the 1967 Middle East War to be illegal, according to international law on military occupation.
Read Also: Northeast US Winter Storm Brings Major City Disruptions
Israel has rejected this stance, claiming that the status of the territory has yet to be determined.
This is one of the most disputed aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The territory of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem are the demands of the Palestinian people in their quest for an independent state.
The Israeli government has had different policies on the expansion of settlements, while negotiations to solve the conflict have stalled on multiple occasions.
The move also comes after a series of steps taken by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in recent weeks. Earlier this month, the Israeli cabinet approved steps to make it easier for settlers to buy land in the territory.
The move was criticized by Palestinian officials and several human rights groups, who said it was part of a process to permanently annex the territory under Israeli control. Israeli officials said the move is to address administrative and property questions for Israeli citizens.
The United States has always maintained a level of support for Israel while opposing the unilateral annexation of disputed territory. President Donald Trump, who returned to office last year, has said that he is opposed to the official annexation of the West Bank by Israel.
However, his administration has not taken any new steps to specifically limit the growth of settlements, according to administration policy statements.
In a social media message, the U.S. Embassy said that consular officers will offer “routine passport services” during the visit to Efrat. Embassy officials said that the service is not political but administrative, aimed at easing travel for Americans who live far away from current consular services.
Read Also: US, Iran Gear Up For Fresh Diplomatic Talks In Geneva
The United States currently provides passport and citizenship services at its embassy in Jerusalem and a branch office in Tel Aviv.
Tens of thousands of dual nationals of the United States and Israel are believed to live in West Bank settlements, although embassy officials stated that they do not keep specific numbers for specific communities, such as Efrat, which has been a destination for immigrants from North America for several decades.
The same services will also be extended to American citizens of Palestinian descent living in the territory, according to a spokesperson for the embassy.
The specifics of the schedule and locations have not been made public.
Israel has overall control of the military in much of the West Bank, while self-rule exists in specific areas administered by the Palestinian Authority, the Western-backed governing authority established in accordance with the Oslo peace accords of the 1990s.
There are currently over 500,000 Israeli settlers residing in settlements located throughout the West Bank. The area is also home to approximately three million Palestinians.
The Israeli settlements are essentially suburban cities with their own security forces and are connected to Israel via separate roads.
The Israeli government coalition includes parties whose platforms include annexing the entire West Bank. The West Bank is an area of historical and religious significance to Israel, as it is the site of the 1967 war. The area is also of historical significance to the Palestinian people.
The international community’s reaction to the planned U.S. consular service has been slow to develop.
No official protests from Palestinian authorities have been announced as of yet following the Palestinian Embassy’s release.
The passport service will be carried out on Friday, according to the embassy, and further outreach service is planned for later in the year as part of a wider review of the accessibility of consular services for American citizens across Israel and the Palestinian territories.
