Abbas number 2 says Ramallah ‘not clear’ about US policy on Israel

The deputy chairman of the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah party Mahmoud Al-Aloul says Ramallah is still uncertain about the policies of US President Donald Trump.

“We do communicate with him and his administration. We sent messages to them directly, and through Arab leaders as well… They say they are studying the case. It is still not clear to us what will be the US policy in the coming period,” he tells the pan-Arab daily a-Sharq al-Awsat in his first interview since being appointed.

So far the only known communication between Ramallah and Washington has been through security officials. In February CIA Director Mike Pompeo visited Ramallah and Majid Faraj, head of the PA’s General Intelligence Service, visited Washington.

Aloul, however, denies communication has been only over security. He says there has been “security and political [meetings] as well. And in those that were security,” non-security matters were also discussed.

“A lot of brothers have gone and communicated with key players in [Trump’s] administration,” he says.

— Dov Lieber