RAMALLAH, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian observers see that the moment the U.S. shuts down the office of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Washington means that it is leaving the peace process, following Washington's threats to shut down the office.
Human Rights advocate Issam Aruri said in a Facebook post Sunday "we thank the Trump Administration in advance if it continues its stupidity towards the PLO office to end its role as a mediator because no good is coming from it."
London based Palestinian writer and activist Mohammad Masharqa said "shall President Trump's administration enacted its threat to shut down the Palestinian Mission office in Washington, I will pray to God in gratitude, because this means that American cannot carry on with the lie of negotiations and its sole control of the peace process and endless naming of reference. It's an opportunity to take the Palestinian question back to the UN and its resolutions and open the door for an international conference."
The PLO Secretary General Saeb Erekat said Saturday that "The U.S. State Department notifies us with an official letter that they cannot certify the continuance opening of the PLO office in Washington D.C., due to the fact that we are pursuing and encouraging the International Criminal Court (ICC)."
Erekat said "we responded to them with an official letter that in case you officially close the PLO office in Washington D.C., we will put on hold all our communication with this American administration."
Spokesperson for the Palestinian President, Nabil Abu Rdeineh expressed Saturday "deep surprise," according to a statement published by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
