Abbas tells members of Congress he rejects US diktats

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told a visiting delegation of US members of Congress that he rejects “American diktats and decisions related to Jerusalem, refugees, borders and security,” the official PA news site Wafa reports.

Abbas also contended that Israel has not respected “signed bilateral agreements” and was “insisting on destroying them, “a matter that has pushed the Palestinian leadership to decide to halt” them.

He told the Congressional delegation in Ramallah that he supports the two-state solution, Wafa says.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas talks to reporters at the Palestinian Authority headquarters, in the West Bank city of Ramallah on June. 23, 2019. (AP/Nasser Nasser)

The delegation, led by House majority leader Steny Hoyer, arrived in Israel on Tuesday and was slated to meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials.

The members of Congress expressed their “complete support” for the two-state solution and achieving peace, the Wafa report says.

Abbas announced in late July that the Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership had decided to halt the implementation of agreements with Israel and would begin creating mechanisms to do so.

The Palestinians have previously threatened to nullify agreements with Israel, but have taken little action to carry out such measures.

— Adam Rasgon