PLO Executive Committee member, Hanan Ashrawi, met with Matt Duss, Foreign Policy Advisor of Senator Bernie Sanders, where they discussed the Trump administration’s hostile approach in the region and its destructive policies that undermine the prospects of peace and the Palestinian people’s inalienable rights to freedom.

Duss conveyed Senator Sanders’ greetings and discussed with Ashrawi ways to maintain a constructive and informed dialogue with the Senator and other policy makers in Washington who are committed to international law and the Palestinian people’s right to freedom and peace.

They also discussed the Trump administration’s vindictive actions against the Palestinian people and leadership, including as reflected recently in the rejection of Ashrawi’s visa application to the US. Duss expressed Senator Sanders’ dismay and objection of this petty step.
Earlier Monday, Ashrawi also met with the French Consul-General in Jerusalem, Pierre Cochard, at the PLO Headquarters in Ramallah.

Ashrawi briefed Cochard on the latest political developments, especially the escalating financial and political war waged by Israel and the Trump administration against the Palestinian people, including the Trump administration’s openly hostile agenda against UNRWA, which continues to battle a chronic shortage of funds.

Ashrawi discussed the upcoming diversionary workshop in Bahrain, reaffirming the Palestinian leadership’s position that this workshop is designed to replace the political track with false and unrealistic and false promises of investment and Israeli regional integration at the expense of Palestinian national aspirations.

She called on France to reject any involvement in this doomed to fail effort, reminding the Consul General that the Palestinian business community shares the leadership’s view on this issue.

“The right-wing US and Israeli administrations are bypassing international law and signed agreements by applying punitive financial measures that aim at undermining the Palestinian cause but all those botched efforts are bound to fail,” asserted Ashrawi.

Ashrawi also called on France and other EU member states to take the lead in defending the prospects of peace and the standing of international law by recognizing Palestine and adopting more proactive measures to confront the unilateral and illegal Israeli measures on the ground, which are being blindly supported and endorsed by the Trump administration.

“We call on EU members to confront Trump’s unilateral and illegal measures by providing an alternative initiative based on International law and relevant UN resolutions.” She concluded.