(JNS) The U.S. State Department named Hans Wechsel—a veteran diplomat who has worked in Afghanistan, Belgium, Ghana, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates—as its new chief of the Palestinian Affairs office in Jerusalem.
Wechsel is replacing George Noll, who assumed the role during the final months of the Trump administration, after the U.S. Consulate to the Palestinians in Jerusalem was folded into the U.S. embassy to Israel, ending the longstanding practice of separate missions serving Israelis and the Palestinian Authority.
The Palestinian Affairs office serves as Washington’s diplomatic conduit to the Palestinian Authority, and its chief reports directly to the State Department. The office was known as the Palestinian Affairs Unit until mid-2022, during which time its chief reported to the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
The 2022 change was viewed as a diplomatic upgrade in relations between Washington and Ramallah, though major tensions still reverberate, and the Palestinian Affairs office holds little sway in policy matters.
The office mainly serves for reporting, outreach and programming purposes.
U.S. President Joe Biden did not fulfill a campaign pledge to reopen the consulate to the Palestinian Authority following resistance from Israel, whose permission is necessary under diplomatic protocols.
Wechsel took his post earlier this week. He previously served in U.S. missions in Lebanon, Turkey, Afghanistan and the UAE. He has also held posts with the State Department and U.S. Central Command—the military command with purview over the Middle East.
Foggy Bottom said Wechsel “will engage Palestinian political, civil society and private sector leaders, as well as the broader Palestinian community” in the Arab-heavy areas of eastern Jerusalem, along with Judea and Samaria, and the Gaza Strip.
In a statement upon taking his post, Wechsel said that “advancing U.S. support for the Palestinian people will be critically important in the months and years ahead.”
“I look forward to that work, especially to connecting with Palestinians from all walks of life to strengthen mutual understanding and the relationship between the United States and Palestinian people,” he added.
Wechsel is starting his tenure with a tour of Jerusalem, along with a visit to the Arab areas of Judea and Samaria for introductory meetings.
