The US administration says its contacts with the Palestinian Authority (PA) are still ongoing despite the latter’s decision to suspend them in response to threats to close the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office in Washington.
State department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said during a press briefing on Tuesday that communications with the PA were not frozen.
“We are in contact with the Palestinians. As far as I am aware the [PLO] offices are open and running right now” Nauert added.
“We are not giving up on the plan for peace. We are not doing that. I mean you know how important that is to this administration” the spokeswoman stated.
Earlier on the same day PA foreign minister Riyadh al-Maliki announced that the PA officially froze its talks and meetings with the US administration and its state department following threats to shut down the PLO mission in Washington.
Last Saturday a state department official claimed that under US law secretary of state Rex Tillerson could not renew a certification for the PLO office to operate in the country after PA leaders made certain remarks about prosecuting Israelis at the International Criminal Court.
