Arab League slams US closure of PLO diplomatic mission

CAIRO

The Arab League on Tuesday decried a U.S. decision to close the diplomatic mission of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in Washington, saying the move undermines the Palestinian cause.

"Since the declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2017 and the relocation of its embassy to Jerusalem this May, the current U.S. administration has been showing its full bias to the Israeli agenda," the Cairo-based league said in a statement.

On Monday, the U.S. State Department announced the closure of the PLO diplomatic mission, which served as the de facto embassy for Palestine in Washington.

Last month, the U.S. administration cut all the finding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA.

The Arab League said the US aid cuts “aim to compromise the Palestinian will, which reflects a misreading of [the situation]”.

It rejected accusations to the Palestinians of being opponents to efforts aimed to make peace with Israel.

“No specific or applicable proposals have been presented to the Palestinians,” the statement said.

The Palestinian Authority has rejected any U.S. mediation since Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a Palestinian state.