Ahmed Abul Gheit, the secretary general of the Arab League (formally known as the League of Arab States), condemned on Tuesday the United States' decision to close the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Washington, and called the US approach toward the Israeli-Palestinian problem biased.
CAIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th September, 2018) Ahmed Abul Gheit, the secretary general of the Arab League (formally known as the League of Arab States), condemned on Tuesday the United States' decision to close the headquarters of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Washington, and called the US approach toward the Israeli-Palestinian problem biased.
On Monday, Heather Nauert, the spokesperson for the US State Department, announced in a press release that the US authorities had decided to close the PLO office in Washington over Palestinian efforts to encourage the International Criminal Court to open a probe into Israel's alleged war crimes, as well as their failure to support the US government's peace efforts.
"Since the moment when it recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December last year, the current US administration has been showing a totally biased approach, supporting the Israeli agenda," Gheit said in a statement.
He added that the United States was wrongly assessing the Palestine-Israel problem, as it was trying to bend Palestine to submission by cutting aid, including assistance provided within the United Nations' efforts.
"The [US] criticism toward Palestinians, accusations of stubbornness, of rejecting the suggested initiatives and decisions, are groundless as no decision or plan that actually could be discussed, agreed on or rejected has been suggested to Palestinians," Gheit added.
In December 2017, US President Donald Trump announced the recognition of Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, which prompted Palestine's unwillingness to accept the United States as peace process mediator. On August 31, the US State Department announced that the United States would stop contributing to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalated in March, when Palestinians launched protest campaigns at the Gaza border, which resulted in numerous clashes between protesters and the Israeli security forces.
Trump has repeatedly pledged to contribute to the settlement of the long-lasting conflict.
