US U-turns on closing Palestinian office in Washington DC

The move came a week after President Donald Trump's administration said the PLO mission would have to shut down. An official denied that the US had been attempting to "leverage" the Palestinians in peace talks.

کد خبر: ۷۵۰۰۵۳

تاریخ: ۰۴ آذر ۱۳۹۶ - ۰۸:۲۵

The Palestinian flag will continue to fly in Washington, DC after all. The US State Department announced on Friday that the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) office in the US capital can remain open in order to hold peace talks with Israel, adding that full operations could likely resume after 90 days.

The department's announcement was an about-face move that reversed its warning last week that the PLO site in Washington would have to close its doors. The PLO office's permit expired last Saturday at midnight. Under US law, permission to operate must be renewed every sixth months.

A State Department spokesperson said Friday that in the meantime the PLO delegation was advised "to limit its activities to those related to achieving a lasting, comprehensive peace between the Israelis and Palestinians."

After 90 days, if US President Donald Trump decides that the representatives of the Palestinian people are undertaking "direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel," the office may be allowed to resume full operations.

The spokesperson added on Friday that both Israel and the PLO have been "cooperative, constructive, and prepared to engage in negotiations." The department was "optimistic" that operational restrictions would be lifted in three-month's time.