The Palestinian Authority (PA) has “frozen” all contacts with Washington, the territory’s ’s foreign minister has said. The move follows the US decision to close the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office in America’s capital.
By closing the office in Washington, DC, the US itself made any contacts with the Palestinian Authority impossible, Riyad al-Malki told AFP. “In practice by closing the office they are freezing all meetings and we are making that official,” he said.
President Mahmoud Abbas ordered all contacts with Washington on hold until Palestinian demands are met, sources within the PA government told RT. They further explained that the US should allow the PLO office to continue its work in Washington and also remove the PLO from its list of terrorist organizations in order for contact to be resumed.
The US State Department refused to renew the operating license for the PLO office in Washington Saturday, Palestinian officials said.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has determined that Palestinian officials violated an obscure US law that prescribes closing PLO offices should they petition the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prosecute Israelis for crimes against Palestinian people, AP reported citing US officials. That’s what Abbas did in September.
Read the article on Mirage News.