Associated Press (AP) news agency revealed that U.S. President has been deliberately ignoring Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ phone calls since his inauguration.
The AP pointed out that Abbas and his advisers tried to arrange a phone call with Trump after the November election and again after the inauguration but received no response to their requests.
Abbas and his aides are alarmed by the possibility of being sidelined at a time when the administration is embracing Israel’s prime minister who heads to the White House next week the AP said.
The AP quoted senior Abbas aide Saeb Erekat as saying that the Trump transition team refused in December to meet with Palestinian officials visiting Washington putting them off until after the Jan. 20 inauguration.
Erekat whose contacts are now limited to the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem has been quoted as saying that “we have sent them letters written messages; they don’t even bother to respond to us.”
In contrast Trump spoke twice with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Nov. 9 and Jan. 22 and will receive him at the White House on Feb. 15.
