Palestinians despair over Trump’s seemingly pro-Israel stance

The Palestinian leadership is frustrated with Trump’s efforts at diplomacy, a document authored by a PA official shows.

The Palestinian leadership is annoyed with US President Donald Trump’s seemingly pro-Israel stance, Israel’s NRG news site reported Sunday, citing a document authored by a leading Palestinian official.

In the paper, which summarizes the diplomatic work the Palestinian Authority (PA) has conducted since Trump entered office, Saeb Erekat, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) executive committee and chief PA negotiator, wrote that the Palestinians have failed to influence the US administration’s stance on the diplomatic process, notwithstanding attempts at exerting pressure through Arab countries.

“The Americans will vote against all plans and resolutions regarding Palestine at the [UN] Human Rights Council and UNESCO. Likewise, the American government will defend Israel at all international institutions and organizations, in accordance with President Trump’s declaration. Furthermore, the American government is threatening to leave the Human Rights Council if a resolution is passed against Israel,” the document says.

The Palestinians have been utilizing international forums to demonize and sanction Israel, and while the previous administration had supported some of these motions, the Trump administration has vowed to put an end to this phenomenon.

Trump Not Saying What Palestinians Want to Hear

Erekat noted that the Trump administration has thus far refrained from “publicly expressing support for a two-state solution, based on the 1967 borders, like the previous administration did.”

Trump and PA head Mahmoud Abbas discussed the prospects for peace during a press conference in Bethlehem last week. While Trump called for a resumption of talks, he notably stopped short of endorsing the idea of a Palestinian state.

In several speeches throughout his two-day visit to Israel, Trump spoke in general terms about his belief that the time is ripe to reach a deal, but he made no mention of a two-state solution.

Similarly, the Trump administration has not publicly stated its “opposition to settlements [Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria], and has not recognized the fact that they are illegal. The current administration has not demanded that the Israeli government reduce construction in them,” Erekat pointed out.

On the issue of moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Erekat had warned that doing so would “destroy the peace process and lead the region to extremism and bloodshed.” More recently, he expressed fear that Trump’s campaign promise is still an option, even though he has yet to make the move.

Fear of US Cut in Aid to Palestinians

Erekat likewise expressed apprehension about the US Congress, which “continues to threaten to cut the [US] aid” to the Palestinians. Congress had warned it would reduce funding if the Palestinians persist in their attempts to influence the diplomatic scene by persecuting Israel at international legal forums and continue paying salaries to Palestinian terrorists held in Israeli prisons.

This report comes as Israel’s Channel 2 revealed that Trump had screamed at Abbas during their meeting in Bethlehem last week, accusing him of lying and of incitement to terror.

“You lied to me in Washington when you talked about commitment to peace, but the Israelis showed me you were personally responsible for incitement,” Trump reportedly said.

When the two leaders met in Washington early May, Abbas claimed that Palestinian youth were raised in a “culture of peace.”

By: World Israel News Staff