U.S. extends passport services to Israeli settlement in West Bank

The United States embassy in Jerusalem announced it will provide passport and consular services inside an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank for the first time, a move that has sparked controversy over its implications for international law. The embassy said consular officers will offer routine passport services in the settlement of Efrat on Friday, 27 February , marking the first occasion that American diplomats operate directly inside a settlement. Similar services are planned in Beitar Illit , Ramallah , and major Israeli cities including Haifa, Jerusalem, Netanya and Beit Shemesh , as part of efforts to “reach all Americans abroad.”

Israeli officials welcomed the move. Israel’s foreign ministry called it “historic,” using the government’s preferred term “Judea and Samaria,” while settlers and right-wing politicians praised the expansion of normal diplomatic engagement. However, critics argue that the policy effectively legitimizes Israeli encroachment on land sought by Palestinians for a future state, undermining international norms that view settlements as illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace.

Palestinian authorities have not issued a formal response. Human rights groups and independent monitors warn that expanding consular presence in settlements may embolden Israeli settlers amid rising tensions, including increased settler violence and army operations since the Gaza war began in October 2023.

Global reactions have been mixed. While Israel and its supporters applauded the initiative, several countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Qatar, Indonesia and Pakistan condemned broader settlement expansion as a “grave escalation” and warned that the US move could normalize Israel’s control over occupied territory. The Trump administration frames the outreach as a practical service for tens of thousands of Americans living in the West Bank, but critics see it as a diplomatic endorsement of disputed land and a blow to long-term peace prospects.