Less than two weeks since US President Barack Obama visited Israel and the West Bank, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to cease all “unilateral” moves at the United Nations in order to give Washington a chance to get Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table.

The move, which was first reported in the Israeli Ha’aretz daily on Thursday and corroborated by a PLO Executive Committee member, comes just as US Secretary of State John Kerry is making his second round of shuttle diplomacy in the last two weeks, following Obama’s trip.

Abbas’ decision was announced during a meeting for the Central Committee of his ruling party, Fatah. Israeli and Palestinian sources who talked to Ha’aretz said that eight weeks would be given to Kerry, starting on March 22, the day of Obama’s departure. A possible four-week extension may be given if necessary, the sources added.

This means that during this time, the Palestinian Authority (PA) will cease to go to any UN agency to secure member-state status, just like it did back in November with the General Assembly. Following the deadline, Palestinians will assess what US efforts have yielded.