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Closure of the PLO office in Washington undermines the peace process, says Germany

September 15, 2018 at 1:13 pm

Outside view of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s office in Washington, US on 10 September 2018 [Yasin Öztürk/Anadolu Agency]

The closure of the Palestine Liberation Organisation office in Washington undermines the peace process aimed at reaching a two-state solution, a spokeswoman for the German Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

The move by the US government “will make it harder to reach a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians,” she added. “Considering the current lack of communication we are seeing between the Israelis and the Palestinians, we are worried that this renewed unilateral move by the United States will cause the fronts to harden and make it more difficult to resume talks on a two-state solution.”

Read: An American blow to the peace process on the anniversary of Oslo

Last Monday, the Trump administration said that the PLO office in Washington would be closed out of concern about Palestinian attempts to initiate an International Criminal Court investigation of Israel.

“The US gave us only two options,” said the PLO representative in Washington, Hussam Zomlut. “To choose between closing our office in Washington or to give up our rights. We choose our rights.”