(JTA) — President Donald Trump is considering giving US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman more authority over the State Department east Jerusalem office that handles Palestinian affairs, officials said.

According to the Associated Press, the move may be seen as a downgrade in the autonomy of the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem, which is responsible for relations with the Palestinians. And this could have potentially significant policy implications.

The Trump administration’s relations with the leadership of the Palestinian Authority under Mahmoud Abbas has worsened following the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December, and the moving of the US embassy there last month.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The crisis in relations with the Palestinian Authority comes as the Trump Administration prepares to unveil a peace plan

Freidman is also facing flak for speaking in partisan terms about support for Israel

“(Democrats) have not been able to create support within their constituency for Israel at the same levels that the Republicans have,” he told the Times of Israel Thursday.

Former Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fla.), chairman of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, issued a statement on Thursday rebuking Friedman’s remarks.

“Ambassador Friedman must remember that he is not the head of the Republican National Committee or the Republican Jewish Coalition political organization,” Klein said. “He (represents) all Americans in Israel — not just those of one party, or those who share his political views.”

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forward’s award-winning journalism during our High Holiday Monthly Donor Drive.

This year, we have stood together in strength and sorrow. Our Forward team has worked around the clock to help you find clarity amid the chaos.

If you’ve turned to the Forward in the past 12 months to better understand the world around you, we hope you will support us with a gift now. Your support has a direct impact, giving us the resources we need to report from Israel and around the U.S., across college campuses, and wherever there is news of importance to American Jews.

Make a monthly or one-time gift and support Jewish journalism throughout 5785. The first six months of your monthly gift will be matched for twice the investment in independent Jewish journalism. 

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount