Scoop: Rubio looks to cut security coordinator role for West Bank, Gaza
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Rubio. Photo: Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is considering eliminating the U.S. security coordinator role for the West Bank and Gaza Strip as part of a broader staffing overhaul, according to five U.S., Palestinian, Arab and Israeli sources.
Why it matters: Held by a three-star general, the role involves coordinating between political and military officials in Israel and the Palestinian Authority to try to avoid and contain security crises. It has become especially important as the security situation in the occupied West Bank has continued to deteriorate.
- Sources who spoke to Axios expressed concern that eliminating it could lead to further destabilization in the West Bank at a time when the war in Gaza is still ongoing.
Behind the scenes: Gen. Mike Fenzel, who assumed the role in 2021, has told members of Congress and others involved in the issue inside and outside the U.S. government that his understanding is there's a plan to eliminate his position, two sources said.
- The role was not listed on a detailed organizational chart circulated internally within the State Department last week, or on the less exhaustive version Rubio unveiled publicly. Rubio's plan involves eliminating dozens of offices and positions.
- A U.S. official told Axios that no final decision was made regarding the U.S. security coordinator's position. The State Department declined to comment.
Zoom out: The security coordinator reports to both the secretary of state and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
- It's both diplomatic post and one of the most sensitive general officer positions in the U.S. military, and its senior rank ensures direct access to the top military and political echelons in the U.S., Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
- The security coordinator team also includes military experts from eight different NATO countries.
- The security coordinator is also the most senior U.S. official currently focused on the situation in the West Bank and briefing top leadership in Washington on that issue.
Flashback: During the Biden administration, the Pentagon considered downgrading the coordinator's rank from three-star general to colonel, but those plans were scrapped after significant pushback from Democratic and Republican senators.
What to watch: One future area where the security coordinator could be vital is helping to establish and train a Palestinian force to take responsibility for Gaza's security after the war in place of Hamas.
Update: After this story published, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) urged Rubio not to eliminate the "essential role," calling the idea "unwise and self-defeating" at a time of "intense conflict and crisis."
