Trump demands that Abbas changes view on Turkey – Palestinian source
RAMALLAH, Palestine (North Press) – A Palestinian political source based in Washington said on Sunday that US President Donald Trump has recently demanded that the president of the Palestinian National Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, not approach Turkey’s axis.
“Trump sent a message to Abbas which included his demand for the change of the Palestinian Authority’s view towards Iran and Turkey,” said an anonymous source.
“The moves of the Palestinian Authority towards Turkey, Syria, and Lebanon in response to the UAE and Bahraini normalization with Israel annoyed Trump and Israel,” the source added.
There is no official relationship between the USA and Palestine after the closure of the Palestinian Diplomatic Mission in Washington in October 2018.
The US administration wants to keep the Palestinian Authority as it is without any change towards another axis, and to keep the power of its relationship with Egypt and Saudi Arabia, according to the source.
A Palestinian official source said that Trump’s message was sent to Abbas via Ronald Lauder, an American businessman and the president of the World Jewish Congress, in a surprise visit to Ramallah on Saturday.
This came in light of the tension in relations between the USA and the Palestinian Authority due to the Trump peace plan, which the Palestinians consider as an elimination of their issue.
Lauder demanded that Abbas agree to resume the negotiations and not stay inert in a way that damages Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority.