Cracks emerge in Palestinian Authority’s boycott of U.S. peace plan

Leading Palestinian politicians have voiced concerns in recent days over the prospect of the United States being excluded from acting as mediator in peace talks with Israel. They do not believe that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ boycott on American officials— imposed in the wake of Washington’s recognition in December of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital—is proving beneficial to the Palestinian cause.

 

In the current diplomatic climate, officials warned, Europe cannot replace the US as an intermediary because many European capitals are reluctant to assume America’s traditional role as primary peace broker between the two sides. European leaders are also wary of ignoring the Trump administration’s demand to not abide by the PA’s push to form a new, multilateral mechanism for negotiations.

 

Nabeel Amro, a former Palestinian Minister of Information, explained to The Media Line that “the Palestinians want Europeans to be more involved, but we can’t force them.” While he believes that “it is right to reject the [prospective] American [peace] plan as it violates Palestinian rights, a boycott on the entire US administration is not helpful. Our relationship with the US should be about dialogue, not boycotts.

 

“Whereas, Amro supports the PA’s rejection of the White House’s decision to relocate the American Embassy to Jerusalem, he stressed that “there is no need to boycott the whole country. Diplomacy requires activity and movement at all levels. The US is still supporting the PA in matters of security. Why do we accept security cooperation, but not the political collaboration?”

 

Source: Cracks emerge in Palestinian Authority’s boycott of U.S. peace plan – Arab-Israeli Conflict – Jerusalem Post