‘Moderate’ Arab states pressuring Abbas to support Trump, says Israeli institute

Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are pressuring Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas not to pursue any further initiatives in the United Nations and its agencies, as pressure mounts on the Ramallah-based leadership to respond to the lacklustre efforts of the Trump administration.

According to the right-leaning Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs (JCPA), the so-called “moderate Arab countries” are applying pressure on Abbas to “align with their pro-Trump policy”, and to abandon any ideas of “applying to UN agencies for membership”.

JCPA sources say that “at this point the Palestinians will not pursue the policy of joining UN agencies and will not apply for full membership in the UN” since the Americans have told Abbas that such a move will be vetoed, “and the Arabs want to spare President Trump this provocation”.

Citing “Palestinian sources”, the JCPA claims Abbas failed to meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the latter’s visit to the region last month, in part, to avoid an anticipated message from the top UN official not to push “extreme anti-Israeli messages” at the upcoming General Assembly session in New York.

Read: When Abbas lauds Trump, he is trying to deflect his own accountability

Rather than see Guterres, Abbas flew to Turkey for a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Abbas unsuccessfully sought to secure support from the Turkish leader for his Gaza policy, with Erdogan instead offering to mediate between the PA and Hamas.