Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas hosted a visit by a US diplomatic delegation led by the Under Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, ahead of a possible visit by President Joe Biden.
During the meeting, Abbas reiterated his request to remove the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) from the US list of terrorist groups, the presidency said in a statement.
The Palestinian president also called for the reopening of the PLO office in Washington and the US consulate in East Jerusalem, which were closed during the Trump administration.
Under Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, who began a three-day visit to the Palestinian territories and Israel on Saturday, met with Abbas to “discuss US-Palestinian relations, assistance to Palestinians , to deepen ties, and how both Palestinians and Israelis equally deserve measures of freedom, security and prosperity,” the US State Department said.
Biden vowed to reopen the consulate after Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, angering Palestinians who see the east of the city as their future capital.
Israel, however, is opposed, and considers that the consulate should be installed in Ramallah, headquarters of the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank.
These moves come shortly before a possible Biden visit to the region. The US president said that he is considering traveling to Saudi Arabia, Israel and the Palestinian territories in July.
