RAMALLAH, West Bank — Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman instructed Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories commander Yoav Mordechai to halt all political and civil meetings with the leaders of the Palestinian Authority on Dec. 25, in response to UN Security Council Resolution 2334 against settlements, reported Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Liberman's decision includes cutting off communication between Mordechai’s office and Palestinian officials regarding all civil affairs except for security coordination meetings.

The decision raised the ire of the PA. President Mahmoud Abbas said in a Dec. 30 interview with Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, “Security coordination will continue as a common interest to both parties and the PA follows the orders of neither Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu nor Liberman.” Abbas is standing by his infamous statement May 28, 2014, when he said, “Security coordination is sacred and we will continue whether we agree or disagree on policy.”

Cooperation and coordination between the PA and Israel started with the Oslo Accord signed on Sept. 13, 1993. The Palestinian Ministry of Civil Affairs handles the implementation of the civil aspects of the agreements with the Israeli side, such as supervising the granting of permits for humanitarian cases as well as permits for official delegations and residencies for investors. It also supervises the crossings and transit points and the entry of goods into the Palestinian territories.