America's Public Affair

Here is the raison d'etre of the United States Consulate in Jerusalem:

Welcome to the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Consulate General, Jerusalem. As the public diplomacy arm of the U.S. Consulate, the primary goals of our office are to support the peace process between Palestinians and Israelis, strengthen democratic institutions by supporting civics and rule of law programs, promote a free and professional media, encourage economic growth and regional commerce, advance the empowerment of women, and promote understanding of American values and society among Palestinians. To achieve these goals, we have at our disposal a wide variety of programs, working with all levels of society. We oversee programs in education, press/media, culture, civil society, conflict resolution, foreign policy, American political, economic and social systems, and much more –- all areas of importance to the U.S.-Palestinian relationship. Our public affairs activities in the Palestinian Territories and in the United States promote professional exchanges between U.S. and Palestinian individuals and institutions with the aim of cultivating mutual understanding and cooperation at the people-to-people level.
Our specific programming responsibilities are limited to Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.

Screen snap: 

No Jewish Israelis, seemingly, reside in those "Palestinian territories" since we do not get to share in those programs with other residents in the area nor are we invited to benefit from them or the accompanying coexistence possibilities that should develop from working together with fellow residents. I have blogged many times on this issue and that what results from such an approach is:

a) Arabs assume the US does not want the Jewish communities to exist - out of sight, out of mind.

b) If America acts in a semi-apartheid fashion, why not them.

c) If those are the "Palestinian territories", is that because they were the Palestine Mandate or they belong to a supposed national grouping called "Palestinians" as opposed to "Israelis"? And that group legitimately excludes Jewish residents?

d) "Among Palestinians" means not among Jewish Israelis?

Some affair.

Limited to Arabs only.

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