U.S. to offer passport services in illegally occupied West Bank - UPI.com

Feb. 26 (UPI) -- The United States will offer passport services for the first time in Israeli settlements in the illegally occupied West Bank.

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem announced in a statement Wednesday that in an effort to reach all Americans, consular officers "will be providing routine passport services in Efrat on Friday."

The move is expected to draw criticism from foreign governments and human rights advocates, as it appears to legitimize Israel's illegal occupation of Palestinian land.

Efrat was established in the West Bank on April 10, 1983, according to the Israeli settlement's official website. However, Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem are widely regarded as illegal under international law.

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