American officials revealed a new direction for the US administration, which involves providing direct consular services within Israeli settlements established on the occupied West Bank lands. Sources confirmed that this step, which is the first of its kind in the history of American diplomatic dealings, will effectively begin this week by providing passport issuance services for American citizens residing in those areas.
The US Embassy in Jerusalem clarified via social media platforms that its consular teams will be present on Friday, February 27th, in the 'Efrat' settlement located on citizens' lands south of Bethlehem. This step aims to facilitate bureaucratic procedures for thousands of settlers who hold American citizenship and live in this settlement, which is considered a prominent stronghold for them.
The American plan was not limited to one settlement; the embassy announced its intention to expand these services to include the 'Beitar Illit' settlement near Bethlehem, in addition to providing similar services in Ramallah. This shift goes beyond the previously established system, where services were limited to the embassy headquarters in Jerusalem and the branch office in Tel Aviv.
Official estimates indicate that tens of thousands of settlers hold dual American citizenship and live in various settlement blocs in the West Bank. Observers believe that this consular move grants additional legitimacy to the settlement presence and aligns with the policies of the Israeli right-wing, which calls for imposing full sovereignty over the West Bank and expanding the settlement project.
In a related context, the Israeli cabinet, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, recently approved a package of measures aimed at strengthening Israeli control over Palestinian territories and facilitating their seizure for the benefit of settlers. These moves coincide with human rights reports confirming an unprecedented escalation in the pace of settlement construction during the past year, in the absence of any real international pressure to stop it.
Large areas of the West Bank are under direct military occupation, where more than half a million settlers live in fortified towns surrounded by security fences and heavily armed soldiers. In contrast, about 3 million Palestinians face severe restrictions on movement and urban growth, while the Palestinian Authority's powers are limited to specific and geographically isolated areas.
Although international law and UN resolutions consider all Israeli settlements in the occupied territories illegal and an obstacle to peace, the administration of President Donald Trump continues to adopt positions supportive of the occupation. Washington has not taken any effective steps to curb settlement expansion; instead, it has moved towards integrating settlers into its official service system, which entrenches the creeping annexation of the West Bank.
This is the first time American consular officials have provided such services to settlers in the occupied territories.
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In a historic precedent.. Washington begins providing consular services within West Bank settlements