The Palestinian Liberation Organization has threatened to shut down its ties to the US if it shuts down the PLO's office in Washington. US officials say the PLO could be violating one of the conditions of the law that allows for their operation in the US. They say the PLO is not allowed to pressure the World Court to investigate Israelis under that law. The PLO has run their office in Washington DC since 1994, and this is the first time the State Department has refused to reissue its operating license. The State Department spokesperson cited statements made by the PLO to the International Criminal Court about Israeli settlements as the grounds for this refusal.
The State Department has given President Trump three months to decide on allowing the Palestinian office to stay based on if he felt they had entered into "direct, meaningful negotiations with Israel." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he was "deeply surprised" by the move, and said it could endanger the Middle East peace process. Mr. Saeb Erekat, the Palestinian Secretary-General, said he believed the move was prompted by Israeli pressure. Israel said the matter was one of US Law.
As usual, the link to the article:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42040816
Steven Grant Weber
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment