US State Department Issues Clarifying Statement on Its Stance Regarding the Participation of the Palestinian Delegation at UN Meetings

SadaNews - The US State Department considers its opposition to the United Nations General Assembly's decision to facilitate the virtual participation of Palestinian officials in the 80th session of the General Assembly should not be surprising.

The department stated in a statement that the Trump administration was clear in holding the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) responsible for their failure to uphold their commitments under the Oslo Accords, some of which are extremely fundamental, and for undermining the prospects for peace.

It added: "It is clear that the Palestinian Authority and the PLO have not fulfilled these commitments and are not reliable partners for peace."

The statement continued: "The Palestinians have committed to renouncing terrorism and all other acts of violence, however, despite its claims to the contrary, the Palestinian Authority continues to reward and encourage terrorism by continuing to pay compensation to terrorists and their families. This heinous practice must be stopped." according to the statement.

It went on: "The Palestinians must continuously and publicly renounce terrorism – including the October 7 massacre – unequivocally, and put an end to incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the PLO."

It further stated: "The Palestinian Authority still fails to directly condemn terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, including the attack that occurred on September 8 at the Ramot bus station in Jerusalem, which resulted in the death of six Israelis."

It continued: "Indirect condemnations or indirect statements that refuse to target Israeli civilians while simultaneously falsely accusing the Israeli government of committing genocide do not meet the reasonable standards for condemning terrorism."

The American statement said: "The Palestinian Authority must also stop its attempts to internationalize the conflict through legal warfare campaigns, including recourse to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, and its efforts to bypass negotiations to ensure unilateral recognition of an envisioned Palestinian state."

It added: "These two steps have significantly contributed to Hamas's refusal to release hostages and to the collapse of ceasefire talks in Gaza."

The statement affirmed: "The United States will remain open to re-engagement in accordance with its laws if the PLO and the PA fulfill their obligations and take tangible steps to return to a constructive path for resolution and peaceful coexistence with Israel."