PLO official attacks US President Trump for his claim that aid to the PA is conditional, says the international aid constitutes “the debt of the international community” to the Palestinian people
Headline: "Erekat: Trump's statements are an insult to all Arabs"
"Secretary of the PLO Executive Committee, [Fatah Central Committee member, and PLO Chief Negotiator] Saeb Erekat said that American President Donald Trump’s statements during his meeting with occupation [Israeli] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the Davos [World] Economic Forum that was held in Switzerland confirm his lack of suitability to sponsor any peace process (Trump said Jerusalem is “off the table,” and that US aid to the PA is conditional on it returning to negotiations with Israel; see note below –Ed.)…
Erekat strongly condemned Trump's statement that ‘The American money will remain on the table as long as the Palestinians do not play with us,’ and said: …'The issue of the money and aid that the US gives to our people is not a kindness or a donation as Trump thinks. The international commitment and funding are not grants and donations, but rather a purely political matter, and they express the debt of the international community and its legal and political obligation to our people until the occupation ends and our people is given sovereignty over its land, resources, economy, borders, and airspace.’"
Donald Trump held a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, and stated: "We took Jerusalem off the table.” When asked by a reporter whether Jerusalem being “off the table" meant that none of it would be part of a future Palestinian state, Trump refused to elaborate, responding: "Next question." Trump also said that the US would stop providing financial aid to the PA if they did not return to negotiations with Israel.
"Secretary of the PLO Executive Committee, [Fatah Central Committee member, and PLO Chief Negotiator] Saeb Erekat said that American President Donald Trump’s statements during his meeting with occupation [Israeli] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the Davos [World] Economic Forum that was held in Switzerland confirm his lack of suitability to sponsor any peace process (Trump said Jerusalem is “off the table,” and that US aid to the PA is conditional on it returning to negotiations with Israel; see note below –Ed.)…
Erekat strongly condemned Trump's statement that ‘The American money will remain on the table as long as the Palestinians do not play with us,’ and said: …'The issue of the money and aid that the US gives to our people is not a kindness or a donation as Trump thinks. The international commitment and funding are not grants and donations, but rather a purely political matter, and they express the debt of the international community and its legal and political obligation to our people until the occupation ends and our people is given sovereignty over its land, resources, economy, borders, and airspace.’"
Donald Trump held a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, and stated: "We took Jerusalem off the table.” When asked by a reporter whether Jerusalem being “off the table" meant that none of it would be part of a future Palestinian state, Trump refused to elaborate, responding: "Next question." Trump also said that the US would stop providing financial aid to the PA if they did not return to negotiations with Israel.