About a week ago the Trump administration told the Palestinians that they might be shutting down their office in Washington D.C. unless they had “meaningful” talks with Israel.
They have just announced that they’re gonna let the Palestinians stay:
The U.S. will allow the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s (PLO) office in Washington to remain open, despite threatening last week to shutter it.
According to The Associated Press, the office will be allowed to stay open with certain limitations, in particular, that the PLO’s activities there be “related to achieving a lasting, comprehensive peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.”
The Trump administration could lift the restrictions after 90 days if peace talks have begun between the Palestinians and the U.S., the AP reported. The State Department is reportedly hopeful that will happen.
It sounds like the conditional still exists – meaning they haven’t met it, but the Trump admin caved just to make it sound like they got somewhere with the Palestinians and the Israelis.
Here’s an excerpt from the original report a week ago:
Trump now has 90 days to consider whether the Palestinians are in “direct and meaningful negotiations with Israel.” If Trump determines they are, the Palestinians can keep the office. The official said it was unclear whether the U.S. might close the office before the 90-day period expires, but said the mission remains open at least for now.
El Scoopy was right in that post – it’s not gonna happen because Trump has no real ideology here. He just does what sounds good to him at the time.