The American website Axios quoted an informed source as saying that the US State Department is planning to eliminate the office of the US Security Coordinator in Jerusalem, which helps strengthen security coordination between the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

The sources added that this cancellation is part of a broader reorganization of the State Department led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which will see the closure of dozens of offices around the world.

A congressional aide and a source familiar with the matter said that the current US security coordinator in Jerusalem, Lt. Gen. Michael Finzel, was informed last week that his position would be eliminated, and an announcement is expected in the next few weeks.

A US official explained that the decision is not final until it is announced, but acknowledged that Wenzel's position is among those to be eliminated. The official added that this move is a cost-cutting measure and not for political reasons.

General Wenzel was first informed of the plan earlier this year, but was later told that the decision had been reversed after holding meetings in Washington in which he stressed the importance of preserving the position, according to a source familiar with the matter. However, this reversal appears to have been short-lived, and the US Security Coordinator's office in Jerusalem is no longer included on the updated list of offices that will continue to operate following the soon-to-be-announced reorganization of the State Department.

The last time the "security coordinator" position gained attention in the US media was in the summer of 2022, when the Pentagon moved to demote the security official stationed there from a three-star general to a colonel in order to cut costs.

Ultimately, however, the Biden administration backed down from this effort following bipartisan pressure led by Senators Lindsey Graham and Jon Ossoff. Current National Security Advisor Mike Waltz helped deliver a similar letter in the House of Representatives advocating for keeping a senior general in the office of the US Security Coordinator for the Palestinian Authority and Israel. Washington was influenced by Israel's position, which warned of the destabilizing nature of such a move regarding the security situation in the occupied West Bank.

According to Hebrew media, Israel did not comment on the matter, and the Israeli Ministry of Defense strongly opposed any steps that would support the Palestinian Authority.

A Palestinian official told The Times of Israel that an ammunition shipment intended for Palestinian Authority security forces has been stagnant in Jordan for months because Katz refuses to sign it.

The US Security Coordinator's office in Jerusalem was established in 2005 as part of the "Roadmap" for Peace developed by the administration of then-US President George W. Bush. The international team includes representatives from the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, Turkey, Poland, and Bulgaria, but it is chaired by the United States, whose representative is also the highest-ranking official in the group. Wenzel has held this position since 2021.

The coordinator's mission focuses on reforming and strengthening the Palestinian Authority's security forces and enhancing coordination with Israel, which the Israeli military has promoted as crucial to regional stability.

Supporters of retaining the position say it allows the three-star rank of US representative to reach high-ranking officials in Tel Aviv and Ramallah, who would not take the position seriously if it were held by a lower-ranking officer.

The Security Coordinator has proven critical during times of crisis in Israeli-Palestinian relations. When the Palestinian Authority announced it was severing security coordination with Israel amid the 2017 tensions surrounding the Temple Mount, the US Security Coordinator became the only channel through which the two sides could communicate to prevent further deterioration in relations.

The US Security Coordination Office also facilitates the transfer of much-needed weapons to Palestinian security forces, serving as a reassuring presence for skeptical observers in Israel whose tacit approval such deliveries require.

The US State Department, under former President Biden, repeatedly stated that it planned for the US Security Coordination Office to play a critical role in preparing Palestinian security forces to eventually secure the Gaza Strip in place of Hamas after the war.

General Finzel was also closely involved in efforts to encourage Israel and the Palestinian Authority to cooperate in the investigation into the 2022 killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

“The US security coordinator in Jerusalem plays a critical role in protecting American interests and promoting stability in Israel and the Palestinian territories amidst an escalating conflict and crisis,” Senator Ossoff (D-GA) told Israeli media (The Times of Israel) on Tuesday. “Eliminating this position would be unwise and counterproductive, and I urge Secretary Rubio to reject any such proposal.”