Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee member Hanan Ashrawi condemned on Saturday the US decision to close the office of the PLO’s General Delegation in Washington, saying the US is disqualifying itself as a peace broker with this act.
“Instead of holding Israel liable for its persistent violations of international law and conventions, the U.S. administration and Congress are threatening to punish the Palestinian people because of statements made by President Mahmoud Abbas at the United Nations and other leaders pertaining to ICC accountability for Israel and for its war crimes in Palestine,” said Ashrawi in a statement.
“It is ironic that the U.S. is taking steps to punish the victim (the occupied) and not the perpetrator of the crime (the occupier).”
PLO's Hanan Ashrawi: US Ambassador to UN Nikki Haley is waging a campaign of intimidation against the Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/ecJcR47Lfo
— Khaled Abu Toameh (@KhaledAbuToameh) July 5, 2017
The PLO official said, “Conditioning the renewal of the waiver on the Palestinians’ sticking to ‘direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel’ is actually superfluous since negotiations are nonexistent, and the current U.S. administration has yet to present any kind of peace initiative.”
“If President Donald Trump decides not to renew the waiver after ninety days, the U.S. will embolden Israel even further and provide it with greater cover for its lack of compliance and unilateral actions. Such a measure will also disqualify the U.S. from taking any part in peacemaking and undermine its standing in the region and beyond.”
"Has the US changed from a biased supporter to Israel to an accomplice in crime?" -PLO's Hanan Ashrawi-https://t.co/hBjdFVyHpA pic.twitter.com/CTU8uqj0zX
— Daoud Kuttab داود (@daoudkuttab) February 15, 2017
“If it wants to be evenhanded and play any constructive role, the U.S. government should first break its deafening silence on the illegal settlements and maintain longstanding American policy on the two-state solution and the 1967 boundaries. Recognition of Palestine would go a long way towards proving that the U.S. holds all people equal before the law.”
(Wafa, PC, Social Media)
What chutzpah! Ashrawi and her PA/PLO cohorts have been accomplices to Israeli crimes for 24 years!!! THe PA/PLO should be dismantled, bring on elections with candidates that have proven record of resistance … no more corrupt collaborators…. and freeze their assets.. give them back to the Palestinian people.