Palestinians threaten to cut ties if US shuts PLO office in Washington
The potential rupture in relations threatens to undermine US President Donald Trump’s bid for Mideast peace – a mission he has handed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner
The Palestinians will freeze their ties with the US if it follows through on a threat to close the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s office in Washington, a senior PLO official warned.
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 told Washington that “we would put on hold all our communications with this American administration” if the office were 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 it was the first time since the 1980s that the State Department had refused to renew it.
