Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat has accused the US government of trying to overthrow the Palestinian government under President Mahmoud Abbas. He insisted that Washington had removed Abbas and himself from the possibility of any role in the Palestinian-Israeli peace process.
Erekat's remarks came after Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's senior aide and senior adviser and White House envoy Jason Greenblatt met with Israeli, Jordanian, Qatar, Egyptian and Saudi leaders last week to discuss Israeli-Palestinian peace proposals.
In an interview published in the Arabic-language newspaper al-Quds on Sunday, Kushner later said the US government would soon present Israel-Palestinian peace plans, with or without Abbas's input. He also questioned Abbas' ability to make a deal with Israel.
Erekat said, Kushner's statement shows that the current US government is no longer willing to listen to advice from the Palestinian side and trying to impose their wishes.
"The Kushner interview explains that Donald Trump's government has really come out of the" box "of negotiations and is determined to dictate the solution," Erekat said, as reported by Al Jazeera on Monday (25/6).
"They work and work hard to make changes to the regime, because Palestine under the leadership of President Abbas wants true peace, lasting, comprehensive, based on international law," he continued.
Abbas himself is known to have cut off communications with the Trump government after Washington recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2017.
The Palestinian leadership sees East Jerusalem as their future capital and insists on disputed city status is a matter that must be negotiated directly between them and the Israelis.
Follow me @fadliestem
