Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas slammed “American silence” and insisted that the current United States administration must “tuArn its talk into actions” during a phone call with Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday night.
“The American administration must turn its talk into actions, rather than making do with this policy of condemnation, denunciation, and silence regarding these unilateral Israeli measures,” Abbas told Blinken, according to the official PA WAFA news agency.
The PA leader repeated Ramallah’s demands to see the US consulate on Al-Quds (Jerusalem) reopened, as well as for the US to provide greater legitimacy to the Palestine Liberation Organization.
“The PLO must be removed from the American terror list, the American consulate in East Jerusalem must be re-opened, as must the PLO office in Washington, given that [the US] is a full, responsible partner in the peace process,” Abbas told Blinken, according to WAFA.
Blinken and Abbas spoke as US President Joe Biden is expected to visit the region in the coming weeks. American and Israeli officials have already spoken to discuss the coming trip, and Blinken was quoted as saying that Washington planned to bring the Palestinians into the loop.
“The American administration will send a high-level delegation to prepare for Biden’s visit and discuss all the issues that President Abbas has raised throughout this phone call, and create an appropriate climate for the success of President Biden’s visit,” Blinken was quoted as saying in the Palestinian readout.
During his call with Abbas, Blinken’s office said he “underscored the importance of concluding the investigations” into the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. The widely-respected correspondent was killed by Israeli bullet under disputed circumstances during an Israeli military raid in Jenin.
The PA finished its investigation last week, announcing that its investigators had determined the reporter was intentionally targeted by Israeli occupation troops. The US has been pressing Ramallah to share the evidence with the occupation regime.
Source: Agencies
