Palestinian Tit-for-Tat with Washington: Communication with US Frozen

The Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization claim to have cut-off all communication with the American government following the Trump administration’s decision to close the PLO Washington office. The US action was mandated by a provision in American law requiring the office to be closed if the Palestinians bring charges against Israel and Israelis before the International Criminal Court. In September, when the PA petitioned the ICC to open investigations, the Trump administration warned that the closure of the Washington office would be implemented unless it was determined that the Palestinians were engaged in “meaningful negotiations” with Israel. When the Palestinians sought to renew its permit for the office as it must every six months, the request was denied and the reaction was angry. In response, the Americans stressed that relations were not being suspended and that the office would be allowed to re-open when negotiations with Israel resume. But the diplomats’ explanation did little to assuage Palestinian anger which was channeled toward Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu whom they accused of orchestrating the series of events. For his part, Netanyahu dismissed it as a “matter of US law.” In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told the daily press gaggle that “There are [still] conversations with [the Palestinians]. We are in contact with them.”