Members of US House of Representatives urge Obama to close PLO office in Washington

More than half of the members of the US Congress House of Representatives have urged President Obama to shut down the office of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation in Washington as punishment for its drive for UN recognition. A letter to the president, initiated by the outgoing and incoming leaders of both parties on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was signed by 239 members.

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“One important way of expressing US disapproval would be to send the message that such actions are not cost-free and that, at a minimum, they result in setbacks to US-Palestinian relations,” the signatories said. “We can do this by closing the PLO office in Washington, DC. We can also call our Consul-General in Jerusalem home for consultations.”

The letter also called for an end to US funding for UN-affiliated organisations which back the PLO.