U.S. Office of Palestinian
Affairs

U.S.-Palestinian Policy

The United States first established a diplomatic presence in Jerusalem in the mid-1800s. The original home of the U.S. Consulate was a sizeable building in the Old City, just inside the Jaffa Gate. And in 1912, the United States government leased a villa to the west of the Old City on Mamilla Road, later renamed Agron Road, and relocated the headquarters of the Consulate and the Consul General’s residence there. In March 2019, the U.S. Consulate General was merged into U.S. Embassy Jerusalem.  In June 2022, the United States announced the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA).  OPA operates out of our historic Agron Road property to promote our overarching strategic objective of achieving a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on our belief that Israelis and Palestinians equally deserve to live safely and securely, and enjoy equal measures of freedom, prosperity, and dignity.

We seek to bolster the bonds which have existed for well over a century between the American people and the Palestinian people through various means.  This includes through our efforts via USAID and public diplomacy, where we harness the power of U.S. higher education and promote U.S. values and interests, including through collaborative academic and professional exchanges, English language learning, and promoting women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship development, as well as initiatives for young Palestinians to tap into career-enhancing opportunities involving science, technology and innovation.

Read More: History of the U.S. Diplomatic Presence in Jerusalem and Our Agron Road Location