Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the closure of a standalone Palestinian office in Jerusalem, dismantling a Biden-era policy and reaffirming the U.S. stance on Israel’s capital.
At a Glance
- Rubio will dissolve the Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) and merge it into the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem
- The OPA was created by Biden in 2022 and operated independently from the ambassador to Israel
- Critics said the office violated U.S. law and undermined Israeli sovereignty
- The move aligns with Trump’s original 2019 embassy unification
- The role of Special Envoy to the Palestinians will also be eliminated
Closing a Controversial Chapter
In a sweeping realignment of U.S. foreign policy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the reintegration of the Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) into the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Established in 2022 under President Biden, the OPA operated as a de facto Palestinian diplomatic mission, reporting directly to Washington rather than the U.S. Ambassador to Israel.
This structure drew immediate fire from lawmakers who viewed it as a breach of the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act, which affirms Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital. Critics argue the OPA created ambiguity in U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty, enabling Palestinian diplomatic representation in Jerusalem without congressional approval.
Diplomatic Tensions and Legal Friction
The OPA’s controversial actions further fueled backlash. On October 7, 2023, amid a mass casualty attack by Hamas, the office called for Israeli “restraint”—a term many interpreted as an appeasement posture toward terrorism. Allegations also surfaced that the OPA denied consular support to Israeli-American citizens, exacerbating accusations of political bias within the mission.
Watch a reaction: Rubio’s decision to close the OPA wins support across Israel.
Rubio, along with over 80 members of Congress, maintained that Biden’s move created an unauthorized consulate and bypassed longstanding U.S. law. “This was an effort to open an unofficial and de facto U.S. consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem,” Rubio stated. His corrective action, endorsed by key allies like Senator Bill Hagerty and Majority Leader Steve Scalise, reestablishes the Trump-era model of a single unified embassy.
A Return to Trump’s Vision
By closing the OPA and abolishing the Special Envoy to the Palestinians role, the State Department is reinstating President Trump’s 2019 embassy consolidation. Trump’s original move from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem fulfilled a bipartisan mandate that had gone unenforced for over two decades.
Senator Hagerty welcomed the rollback, calling it a vital step toward “fully implementing the Jerusalem Embassy Act.” Scalise added that Rubio’s decision rectifies what he called an effort by Biden to undermine American recognition of Israel’s capital.
This strategic realignment sends a clear message: the U.S. will no longer support dual-track diplomacy that blurs its commitment to Israel or fuels ambiguity over Jerusalem’s legal status. Rubio’s decision marks a turning point, restoring the coherence and legality of American diplomacy in the Middle East.
