While US Vice President Mike Pence was concluding an unsuccessful visit to the Middle East, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was making headway in Europe. The Palestinians, who say that they have ended America's sole sponsorship of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, are looking to Europe to play a more active role. Abbas has been urging Europe to recognize Palestine on the 1967 borders and to agree to East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

Ashraf Khatib, communications adviser to the Negotiations Affairs Department of the PLO, told Al-Monitor that the Palestinian position vis-a-vis the Americans is very clear. "The United States has disqualified itself from having a mediating role in the political process. The US decision or project to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital has proved the US [has adopted] the Israeli narrative that gives exclusivity to one nation over another," he said.

A PLO source speaking on condition of anonymity said the Palestinians have said no to negotiations with the United States and Israelis only, "but we haven't said no to the possibility of having a multilateral setting with more countries, not only the US."

The source told Al-Monitor that Palestinians have been talking with a number of parties, including Russia, China, South Africa, the European Union and its member states as well as Arab countries in order to come out with a formula. "What is clear, though, is that there will be no negotiations with the US as a sole party in the negotiating table," the Ramallah-based source said.