- Title: U.S. no longer partners in Israeli-Palestinian peace process - Erekat
- Date: 11th September 2018
- Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (SEPTEMBER 11, 2018) (REUTERS) SENIOR PALESTINIAN OFFICIAL, SAEB EREKAT, WALKING INTO ROOM PALESTINIAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SENIOR PALESTINIAN OFFICIAL, SAEB EREKAT, SAYING: "But how can anyone in their sane mind, with all these American decisions, Trump's (referring to U.S. President Donald Trump) decisions, believe that these people can be honest brokers, facilitators (and) arbitrators in any peace process? They are no longer partners in the peace process." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SENIOR PALESTINIAN OFFICIAL, SAEB EREKAT, SAYING: "Our representative ambassador Zomlot (referring to head of PLO general delegation to the U.S., Husam Zomlot) was recalled in May, we recalled him in May, President Abbas (referring to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas) recalled him when they (U.S.) moved the embassy. He is still here, he never been there (since May), and now the interests of the Palestinians especially on consular issues will be served maybe through one of the Arab embassies or the Arab League there as the customary with all other nations." EXTERIORS OF PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANIZATION BUILDING
- Embargoed: 25th September 2018 11:10
- Keywords: Erekat Palestinians Israel Palestine Liberation Organization Israeli-Palestinian peace process U.S. decision to close PLO U.S. closure PLO
- Location: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- City: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA0018X6O407
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Senior Palestinian Official Saeb Erekat said on Tuesday (September 11) that the Americans are no longer partners in Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
"How can anyone in their sane mind, with all these American decisions, Trump's (referring to U.S. President Donald Trump) decisions, believe that these people can be honest brokers, facilitators (and) arbitrators in any peace process?," Erekat asked reporters during a news conference in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah. "They are no longer partners in the peace process."
Erekat's comments follow U.S. decision to close the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) mission for seeking to punish Israel through the court, a move Erekat described as designed "to protect Israeli crimes".
The Trump administration on Monday (September 10) also threatened tough action against the International Criminal Court (ICC) should it try to prosecute Americans for alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.
National security adviser John Bolton told the Federalist Society, a conservative group, in his first major address since joining President Donald Trump's White House in April, that he did not believe the closure of the PLO office in Washington would shut the door on a long-delayed Arab-Israeli peace plan that Trump senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner has been developing for months.
The Palestinians said they were undeterred from going to the ICC. They deemed the planned PLO mission closure a new pressure tactic by a Trump administration that has slashed funding to a U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees and to hospitals in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians want as capital of a future state. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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