Palestinians Won’t Talk with U.S. Peace Envoys

The Palestinians have widened their boycott of American officials in protest of President Donald Trump’s recognition of Yerushalayim as Israel’s capital, saying they will not meet with White House envoys to prepare the way for peace talks.

“No one from the American administration will be met to discuss peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis, because the [PA] president was very clear on that,” Majdi al-Khalidi, a senior diplomatic adviser to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told the Times of Israel on Sunday.

Trump envoy Jason Greenblatt, who is due in Israel this week, as well as senior adviser and Jared Kushner, topped the list of officials to be shunned.

Khalidi observed that Greenblatt did not request a meeting with the Palestinians, because he “knows that no meeting will happen, even if he asks.”

Last week, the PA said it would not meet with Vice President Mike Pence during his upcoming visit to the region.