Palestinians to cut ties with US if PLO office is shut

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A senior official of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) warned on Saturday that the Palestinians will freeze their ties with the US if it follows through on a threat to close the PLO office in Washington, DC.

The surprise American move and Palestinian backlash came as US President Donald Trump seeks bargaining chips in his bid to broker an elusive Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

Trump has a 90-day window to avert the closure if he deems progress has been made.

But PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat said his organisation had officially informed Washington that "we would put on hold all our communications with this American administration" if the office was closed.

The PLO, which the international community sees as representing all Palestinians, must have its permission to operate its premises in the American capital renewed every six months.

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki said that "we have demanded clarifications" from the US over its decision not to renew operating permission for the Palestine Liberation Organisation's office in Washington. /AFP Photo

Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki said it was the first time since the 1980s that the State Department had refused to renew it.

Malki told AFP Palestinian officials had received a letter from Washington two days ago "saying that the Secretary of State had not found enough reasons to keep the office open".

"This has not happened in the past, and we have demanded clarifications from the State Department and the White House," he said.

"They told us that there would be a meeting of senior legal experts on Monday. Then they would give a clear answer," he said, adding that Palestinian leaders would then meet to discuss their response.

A US State Department official cited "certain statements made by Palestinian leaders" about the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the reason behind the non-renewal.

The Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim in the occupied West Bank on October 26, 2017. /AFP Photo

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas, in his latest speech at the UN General Assembly, suggested taking the issue of Israeli settlements to the ICC.

In 2015, the US Congress issued a resolution barring Palestinians from seeking to wield influence over the ICC regarding investigations into Israeli nationals.

President Abbas was "deeply surprised" by the State Department's move, his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said in remarks carried by official Palestinian news agency WAFA on Saturday.

He said the decision "represents an unprecedented step in the history of the Palestinian-American relationship, and has dangerous consequences for the peace process and the American-Arab relations."

It "represents a blow to attempt to build peace", he said.

The State Department official said Trump had 90 days to decide whether to waiver the decision if he deems "the Palestinians have entered into direct, meaningful negotiations with Israel".

Source(s): AFP