The U.S. State Department said Friday that the Mission Office of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Washington DC can remain open for now, according to a report on the A-Sharq Al-Awsat website.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior State Department official said the PLO office may remain open to discuss peace with Israel, but has been advised to limit its functions to that activity, at least until a waiver to the law is renewed.
“Given the lapse last week of a waiver of statutory restrictions on PLO activity in the United States, we have advised the PLO Office to limit its activities to those related to achieving a lasting, comprehensive peace between the Israelis and Palestinians,” the official said.
Restrictions may be lifted if after 90 days, President Donald Trump determines that officials of the PLO and the Palestinian Authority are engaged in “direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel.”
Both parties have so far been “cooperative, constructive, and prepared to engage in negotiations” as the administration pushes efforts to restart substantial Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the official told the AFP news agency.
“We therefore are optimistic that at the end of this 90-day period, the political process may be sufficiently advanced that the president will be in a position to allow the PLO office to resume full operations.”