The Secretary of State established the Office of the United States Security Coordinator for Israel and the Palestinian Authority (USSC) in 2005 to meet U.S. commitments under the Middle East Roadmap for Peace. The USSC is a joint, international, and interagency team with the core of the organization made up of Department of Defense service members who are assigned to the State Department. Air Force Lieutenant General Michael Moeller leads the USSC and reports directly to the Secretary of State.
Charter
The USSC directs all facets of U.S. security sector assistance to the Palestinian Authority and synchronizes international supporting efforts. The USSC headquarters is in Jerusalem with all members living in the local area. This persistent presence provides a positive and visible sign of the U.S. commitment to an enduring partnership with both Israel and the Palestinian people.
Mission
The USSC assists the Palestinian Authority to transform and professionalize its security sector; engages with the Israelis and Palestinians on security initiatives that build trust and confidence in order to meet Roadmap obligations and supports U.S. and international whole-of-government efforts that set the conditions for a negotiated two-state solution.
Goal
The Palestinian Authority possesses professional and self-sustaining security institutions, accountable to and under legitimate civilian authority, that effectively combat terrorism and criminal threats to law and order, perpetuate an environment of security and stability for the Palestinian people, are able to provide for the national security of a future Palestinian State, and serve as a stable and peaceful neighbor to the State of Israel.
Our Approach
The USSC employs a phased campaign plan that directs our efforts to achieve mutually beneficial objectives for the United States and our partners. The plan guides our common and collective actions toward the shared goal of building confidence between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in order to set the conditions for a negotiated, two-state solution. The USSC is currently transitioning its main effort from assisting the Palestinian Authority Security Forces (PASF) in building the force structure, infrastructure, equipment, and training required for a basic professional security capability to supporting institution-building in the Palestinian security sector. In this phase, we will help the PASF develop indigenous readiness, training, and logistics programs and the capability to maintain and sustain their operational readiness and support infrastructure. Additionally, the USSC will continue to advocate for enhanced security initiatives between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and will support other U.S. rule of law programs that assist the Palestinians improve the performance of the Justice and Corrections Sectors.
A Coalition and Multinational Team
To achieve mission success, the USSC relies on a coalition effort that consists of security experts from the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Turkey, and the Netherlands. The team also includes other international partners from Germany, Finland, Denmark, and Greece who provide technical training experts and advisors.
Integral Interagency Partner
The USSC works very closely with its State Department counterparts especially the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs to provide focused security assistance to the PASF and to support other interagency efforts to achieve broader U.S. national security objectives in the region.
USSC Vision Statement
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