We don’t trust the US.’ Palestinian Authority chairman says he will no longer accept the US as an intermediary for final status negotiations with Israel ‘under any condition.’
Edited by: TJVNews.com
The Palestinian Authority chairman on Thursday used an audience with Vladimir Putin to denounce the United States, telling the Russian leader that he has no faith in Washington as a Mideast peace broker, according to an AP report.
Mahmoud Abbas spoke with Putin at a regional summit in Astana, Kazakhstan. His comments about the U.S., traditionally the main broker between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, came at a time when the U.S. and Russia are at loggerheads over Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
“We don’t trust the U.S.,” Abbas said, speaking in Arabic, as Putin looked on. “We don’t accept the U.S., under any condition, (as) a single party in solving the Middle East problem,” he added.
He said that the Palestinian Authority would only consider U.S. mediation if it were part of the “Quartet,” a grouping of nations that includes Russia.
The AP also reported that with Thursday’s meeting, Abbas became one of the few world leaders to sit down with Putin since Russia launched its war on Ukraine in February. In his public comments, Abbas did not mention the war, nor did a statement released later by his office.
Abbas’ remarks reflected his frustration with the U.S., which has stepped back from its once-intense mediation between Israelis and the Palestinian Authority, the AP reported. Instead, it has turned its focus toward other pressing global issues like the war in Ukraine, relations with China and economic woes.
The comments also follow a crisis of confidence between the Palestinian Authority’s leadership and the U.S. after the Trump administration cut funding to the PA and pursued policies that were favorable toward Israel, as was reported by the AP. That included moving the U.S. Embassy to Israel to the contested city of Jerusalem.
President Joe Biden has restored the funding, but kept the embassy in Jerusalem. The AP reported that he also has not attempted to restart peace talks, focusing instead on more modest goals such as boosting the Palestinian Authority’s economy.
Israel and the PA have not held substantive peace talks in more than a decade.
The U.S. has been central to previous negotiations, brokering interim peace deals in the 1990s that created the Palestinian Authority, which Abbas leads, according to the AP report.
Abbas’ words, however, come in what could be the waning years of his leadership.
The 87-year-old heads a weak Palestinian Authority leadership with no real succession plans for the day the long-serving leader is gone, according to the AP report.
Israel National News reported that the White House is “deeply disappointed” Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas told Russian President Vladimir Putin that he mistrusts the Biden administration, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council told Axios on Saturday.
Abbas, who met with Putin on Thursday, restated his mistrust of Washington in resolving the conflict with Israel while expressing appreciation for Russia’s role in the process, as was reported by INN/
“We don’t trust America and you know our position. We don’t trust it, we don’t rely on it, and under no circumstances can we accept that America is the sole party in resolving a problem,” Abbas said.
While he is not pleased with the US, Abbas said he was “completely satisfied” with Russia’s position towards the Palestinian Arab people.
INN also reported that two US sources briefed on the issue told Axios’ Barak Ravid on Saturday that Biden administration officials were furious and made it clear to Abbas’ advisers.
(AP & IsraelNationalNews.com)
