Palestinians try to move peace process forward without Trump
Palestinians look to the United Nations to move peace process forward, bypassing the Donald Trump administration.
NEW YORK — Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the United Nations today that he and his team tried for a year to engage the Donald Trump administration on the peace process only to have their views rejected in decision after decision. They now are looking to the international community to preserve a two-state solution, Abbas said, bypassing the Trump administration.
“We have always fully and positively engaged with the various initiatives of the international community that have aimed at achieving a peaceful solution between us and the Israelis,” Abbas told the UN General Assembly. “We continued on this path with the administration of President Trump from the start of his tenure, with the same positive engagement, and I have met with him numerous times."
Abbas said, “We awaited his peace initiative with utmost patience, but were shocked by decisions and actions he undertook that completely contradict the role and commitment of the United States toward the peace process.”
Abbas cited Trump’s decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, close the PLO office in Washington, cut off US assistance to the Palestinians and US assistance to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
