US opens consulate in Israeli settlement considered illegal under international law

Efrat, a settlement in the occupied West Bank, has become the pilot for a new project where American officials set up a “pop-up” consulate to serve the thousands of US citizens living there. This move, never done before, aims to streamline services for residents, but has sparked controversy over the legitimacy of settlements in the West Bank. Mayor Dovi Shefner insists on Israel’s ownership of the territory, drawing parallels to the Falkland Islands conflict.

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