From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 6, 2017
US: Trump aide never said engagement with PA on hold
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleThe White House denies that a senior official in the Trump administration told Palestinian businessmen there would be no engagement with the Palestinian Authority for now.
Palestinian sources told The Times of Israel that it was understood from Friday’s meeting with Jason Greenblatt that the administration would only engage with the PA after Trump meets with Netanyahu on February 15.
The US confirms The Times of Israel report that Greenblatt and other officials met with the three in Washington, but insists that he never made such a comment.
“Earlier this week, White House officials, including Jason Greenblatt, held a constructive introductory meeting with a group of Palestinian business leaders who were visiting Washington for meetings with US officials, Congress, and other organizations,” an official at the National Security Council said in a statement to The Times of Israel.
“The assertion that Mr. Greenblatt said that the United States does not intend to have a relationship with the Palestinian Authority at this juncture is false.”
To date, however, officials in the new administration have not met or talked with any PA officials.
— Avi Issacharoff
The Times of Israel Community.