The United States says it would apply sanctions on the Palestinian self-government organisation and the group that represents it on the world scene. The sanctions apply to both the Palestinian Authority (PA), which was established by the Oslo peace accords, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), which was recognised as the official representative of the Palestinian people following the same process in exchange for recognising Israel and renouncing violence. The State Department announced that PLO members and PA leaders would be denied visas.
The timing and content of the statement suggest that it is the Trump administration’s response to this week’s UN summit hosted by France and Saudi Arabia to mobilise support for a future two-state settlement. The conference occurred as France, the United Kingdom, and Canada promised to recognising an independent, demilitarised Palestinian state later this year, subject to certain criteria. The US condemned these actions, privately warning of diplomatic repercussions if attendees at the UN meeting made “anti-Israel” statements. In its sanctions announcement, the State Department accused the PA and PLO of “internationalising its conflict with Israel through the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ)”.
It also referred to a series of long-standing complaints by the United States and Israel that the PLO and PA had continued “to support terrorism, including incitement and glorification of violence (especially in textbooks), and providing payments and benefits to Palestinian terrorists and their families”. Earlier this year, the Trump administration eased penalties against aggressive Israeli settlers who killed Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. One prominent Palestinian leader branded the sanctions decision as “revenge” by the United States for a rising number of countries’ vows to acknowledge Palestinian statehood. The PA appeared to mirror that stance in a statement issued on Thursday.
“These campaigns have been escalating in response to the significant and successive achievements of Palestinian diplomacy,” it said.
“Particularly the recent recognitions of the State of Palestine by key countries, the successful United Nations conference in New York, and the historic declaration issued therein.”
Mustafa Barghouti, the founder of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI), which is affiliated with the PLO, stated that the US was attacking the wrong side. He clarified to the BBC: “Trump’s administration, instead of punishing the criminals who are committing war crimes in Gaza and in the West Bank, which is Israel, is instead… punishing the victim, which is the Palestinian people.” Israel praised the penalties and congratulated US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for implementing them. “This important action by [President Trump] and his administration also exposes the moral distortion of certain countries that ran to recognise a virtual Palestinian state while turning a blind eye to its support for terror and incitement,” said Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister.
The Palestinian Authority has long dismissed “salaries” charges, claiming that the payments are stipends to the families of all Palestinian prisoners imprisoned under Israel’s military occupation, many of whom are denied due process and are kept in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention. Palestinians regard all of those detained by Israel and imprisoned by its military courts, which have a 99 percent conviction rate, as political prisoners. Last week, French officials stated that the PA had signalled a willingness to stop these payments in response to France’s promise to recognise a Palestinian state. This week’s UN conference further isolated the United States over its support for Israel’s continuing conflict in Gaza, which numerous countries denounced during the summit.
The summit revealed a strategic vacuum left by Washington, which has traditionally led diplomatic efforts to achieve a sustainable long-term peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The travel ban on Palestinian leaders may be intended as a more restricted broadside than a comprehensive set of financial sanctions. It is already a complicated and time-consuming process for PA and PLO officials to get visas to go to the United States, necessitating special exclusions that are seldom granted. It is unclear whether the decision will affect any personnel working for the Palestinian mission to the United Nations in New York. The current Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations and his deputy are both US citizens.
English