White House inhabited by Israeli settlers: PLO official

April 17, 2017 in News by Ken

Hanan Ashrawi, an executive committee member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)

A senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has denounced the pro-Israeli policy adopted by the administration of US President Donald Trump, saying the White House is now inhabited by Israeli settlers.

Hanan Ashrawi, a PLO executive committee member, said on Saturday that Israel’s far-right stance dominates the US government.

“We used to say there were settlers in the Israeli coalition borne of the far right that detests Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims. But today we say there are settlers inside the White House,” she said.

Trump’s administration “has adopted the extreme Israeli position to the right of (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and which supports the settlements,” she added.

The remarks came amid reports that a delegation of Palestinian Authority officials will visit Washington later this month, in preparation for a meeting between Trump and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

“The main goal here is to reach understandings that would make the president’s visit a success and that it will come out with positive results that would serve the Palestinian cause,” Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said earlier this month.

Trump and Abbas spoke over the phone for the first time in March during which the latter was invited to Washington.