PA spokesperson: American-Palestinian communication at highest level
Trump's phone call with Abbas and CIA Director Mike Pompeo's visit to Ramallah evidence of growing bond, PA statement suggests.
By JPOST.COM STAFFDonald Trump (L) and Mahmoud Abbas (R)(photo credit: REUTERS)
"American-Palestinian communication is at the highest level," Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rudeinah, said in a statement on Saturday.This communications achievement, he said, is evidenced by US President Donald Trump's phone call with Abbas on Friday and CIA Director Mike Pompeo's visit with Abbas at the PA headquarters in Ramallah in February.These conversations, Abu Rudeinah said, are "without a doubt contributing to paving the way for developments in the coming period... these high level contacts have undone Israeli illusions that President Abbas is not a partner for peace and represent a clear message that the solution lies within Palestinian and Arab legitimacy internationally. The solution does not lie in illusions of plans that have no relationship with ongoing developments. The Palestinian issue is the essence of the conflict, and without resolving it, there will be no peace or stability in the region."Abu Rudeinah reaffirmed that establishing a Palestinian state is the foundation for all Arab national security, and suggested that the upcoming Arab summit is a chance to support and strengthen the Palestinian position.On Friday, In his first phone call with Abbas, Trump said that "peace is possible and that the time has come to make a deal," underscoring that an agreement must be negotiated directly between the two parties."The United States will work closely with Palestinian and Israeli leadership to make progress toward that goal," the White House said."The President noted that the United States cannot impose a solution on the Israelis and Palestinians, nor can one side impose an agreement on the other."Trump invited Abbas to visit Washington for consultations "very soon," according to Abbas' spokesman. A Palestinian source said the call lasted ten minutes.Michael Wilner contributed to this report.