The United States Consulate General in Jerusalem formally closed after 175 years of service, and merged with the U.S. Embassy into a single diplomatic mission. Since the 1990s Oslo Accords, the American Consulate had essentially served as an unofficial embassy to the Palestinian Authority, actively providing services to Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem residents, among other U.S. citizens in the country. While the U.S. State Department insisted in a statement that “there will be complete continuity of U.S. diplomatic activity and consular services during and after the merger,” the Palestinian Authority views the move as a de facto downgrading of relations. Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat stressed that sentiment in a condemnatory response, saying: “the Trump administration was giving the final burial to its role of establishing peace in the region.” The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem did not immediately respond to TV7’s request for comment.