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Sunday, November 19, 2017
[Staged for Israeli public?] Erekat: US officially informed us that it will close PLO's Washington office

Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: Israel has consistently traded permanent
concessions for gestures of a temporary nature. Is this episode being
staged as a "confidence building measure" for the benefit of the Israeli
public to wear down opposition to the Trump Plan?
===
Erekat: US officially informed us that it will close PLO's Washington office
http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=PnFzN9a94375827480aPnFzN9

WASHINGTON, November 18, 2017 (WAFA-official PLO news agency) – Saeb Erekat
, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO)
Executive Committee, said on Saturday that "the US State Department notified
us with an official letter that they cannot certify the continuance opening
of the PLO office in Washington D.C. due to the fact that we are pursuing
and encouraging the ICC (International Criminal Court)."

Erekat said in a statement from Washington that "we responded to them with
an official letter that in case you officially close the PLO office in
Washington, D.C., we will put on hold all our communications with this
American administration."

"This is very unfortunate and unacceptable. This is the pressure being
exerted on this administration from the Netanyahu government. At a time we
are trying to cooperate to achieve the ultimate deal they take such steps
which will undermine the whole peace process," said Erekat.

M.K.
==========
President's spokesman lashes out at plans to shut down PLO office in
Washington
http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=PnFzN9a94374875727aPnFzN9

RAMALLAH, November 18, 2017 (WAFA) – Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu
Rudeineh expressed deep surprise on Saturday at reports that the US
administration is going to close the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)
office in Washington if the Palestinians do not enter into serious peace
talks with Israel "particularly since President Mahmoud Abbas' meetings with
US President Donald Trump were characterized by a full understanding of
steps to create a climate that allows for the resumption of the peace
process," as he put it.

"The Palestinian side has not received any ideas even though many months
have passed and in spite of numerous meetings held with the US side, which
disqualifies the US administration from playing the role of a mediator and
removes itself from the job as sponsor of the political process to achieve
the peace President Trump has promised to reach," said Abu Rudeineh in a
statement.

He stressed that this US measure that aims to close the PLO office in
Washington "is unprecedented in the history of US-Palestinian relations,
which could have serious consequences on the peace process and US-Arab
relations, as well as serves as a blow to peace-making efforts and a reward
to Israel, which is working to obstruct the US efforts by persisting with
its settlement policy and its refusal to accept the principle of the
two-state solution."

AP reported on Friday that the US State Department has warned the
Palestinians that it would shut down the PLO mission in Washington if they
do not start serious negotiations with Israel or it the Palestinians take
Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague over the
settlements issue.

T.R./M.K.

________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

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