The United States plans to move portions of its
consulate out of the Arab-populated sector of Jerusalem amid rising threats
of an Islamic attack.
The State Department said it would transfer media and other services
from the consulate in the eastern and Arab-populated sector of Jerusalem to
an undisclosed location. The department has been warning diplomats and
staffers of the rising threat of Palestinian suicide attacks in Jerusalem.
"The move is solely intended to address significant security concerns,
which we've been looking at for some time," State Department spokesman
Philip Reeker said on Tuesday. "We've been looking to relocate our consulate
in east Jerusalem to a more secure site for several years. We do plan to
move some of the operations of the consulate general to such a site."
The move would not affect the Jerusalem consulate in the western and
Jewish-populated area of Jerusalem.
Earlier, the Israeli Ha'aretz daily said the United States would
establish a new consular section in the western Jersualem neighborhood of
Arnona.
The State Department has warned U.S. embassy staffers in Israel to avoid
crowded areas and bus stations. U.S. diplomatic personnel have been banned
from traveling on buses and require permission to travel to certain areas of
Israel.
"U.S. government personnel in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza are under
tight security controls, including prohibition of travel to the West Bank
and Gaza," the department said in an Aug. 2 travel advisory. "Occasionally,
U.S. government personnel are prohibited from traveling to sections of
Jerusalem, including areas in both West and East Jerusalem, depending on
current security conditions."
In an unrelated development, the State Department plans to meet with a
high-level Palestinian Authority delegation to discuss security and
government reform. PA Chairman Yasser Arafat has convened what was termed an
emergency meeting of his Cabinet on Wednesday to discuss an Israeli security
plan to return security duties to the PA.