Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in an address declared an end to any and all security agreements with the US and Israel citing the new “unity government” and its discussion on the invasion of the West Bank. The Waffa quoted Abbas as stating “The Palestine Liberation Organization and the State of Palestine are absolved, as of today, of all the agreements and understandings with the American and Israeli governments and of all the obligations based on these understandings and agreements, including security ones,” This has the possibility of a further worsening of relationships between the United States and Palestine which have already been significantly harmed due to US President Donald Trump's Middle East plan, which was released in late January. Trump's plan drew sharp criticism and Palestinians have rejected it out of fear it will recognize Israeli claims to parts of the West Bank that they want for a future state. The Palestinian leadership has been boycotting the US government since President Donald Trump unilaterally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in late 2017.
President Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu
This is one of several instances where Abbas has made similar statements. The PLO had voted to end cooperation with Israel and the US back in 2018 as well and left it up to Abbas when to implement such a move. The Palestinian Authority (PA) president has threatened to stop such cooperation several times before, and it is unclear how much validity this threat holds, with Daniel Levy the president of the US/Middle East Project stating that for any actuation, the best approach was to watch Palestinian actions.
President of the State of
Palestine and Palestinian National
Authority - Mahmoud Abbas
A statement by President Abbas that has also been echoed by a considerable number of Arab leaders is the irrevocable harm that this would cause to any chance of continued peace in the Middle East and the implementation of the Two-State Solution. In support, Jordan’s King Abdullah warned on Saturday that Israeli annexation could lead to “a massive conflict” between his country and Israel and did not exclude a suspension of the 1994 peace treaty between them. In the case of an escalation of hostilities, the US is unlikely to escape unscathed with Abbas stating the United States as a "primary partner with the Israeli occupation government" that will be "fully responsible for the oppression of the Palestinian people."
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