Palestine freezes all meetings with US: FM
Palestine has frozen all meetings with the US after Washington’s decision to close the representative office of the Palestinian Authority in Washington, the Palestinian foreign minister says.
"In practice by closing the office they are freezing all meetings and we are making that official," AFP quoted Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki as saying on Tuesday.
A spokesman for the Palestine Liberation Organization also confirmed that Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas has sent them instructions "regarding closing down all communication lines with the Americans."
Palestinian officials had threatened earlier to cut all communications with the US, if US President Donald Trump administration continues with plans to shut down their diplomatic mission in Washington.
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The decision came after the US State Department threatened to close the Palestinians' diplomatic office in Washington unless they enter into direct, meaningful negotiations with the Tel Aviv regime.
The Trump administration has 90 days to determine if the Palestinians are in "direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel." If so, the mission will be reopened.
According to a State Department official, Abbas crossed the line in September after he called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate and prosecute Israeli officials for their involvement in settlement activities and acts of aggression against the Palestinian people.
Less than a month before Trump took office, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2334, calling on Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem” al-Quds.
About 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 illegal settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.
Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.
The last round of Israeli-Palestinian talks collapsed in 2014. Among the major sticking points in those negotiations was Israel’s continued settlement expansion on Palestinian territories.
Trump backtracked on Washington’s support for the so-called “two-state solution” in February, saying he would support any solution favored by both sides.
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