The funniest line from the White House on Monday was when spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated. “We are as committed today as we ever have been to the peace process.”
Or maybe that was the most honest statement. (Depends what words one emphasizes.)
Because from the very start the Trump Administration has been in the hip-pocket of Israel and makes every effort possible to undermine the Palestinians. The recent actions are very much in line with the desires of Zionists.
The Trump White House closed the PLO office in Washington on Rosh Hashana. There is no way the move will not–and should not–inflame this administration’s bitter relations with Palestinians.
Those who know and care about history–which would then exclude Trump–know that for decades, even during times of regional strife and when U.S.-Israeli ties were at their strongest, Washington had tried to position itself as a neutral party in the Mideast conflict. We had over half a century been willing to call out both sides when they took moves seen as contrary to the pursuit of peace.
Let us not forget that several U.S. presidents, from both parties, made concerted efforts to broker a peace accord. Those efforts did not work, but the two-state solution envisioned an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, with the boundaries negotiated in talks between the parties.
The U.S. does not currently recognize the Palestinian territories as an independent state, though the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly voted in 2012 to recognize Palestine as a “non-member observer state.”
The backwards and self-defeating move by the Trump administration of closing the PLO mission will–and should–stiffen the Palestinians’ opposition to anything the Trump team thinks they can propose regarding peace in the region. There is a clear pro-Israel bias and that not only hurts the Palestinians but also the United States.
Our role in the world as a fair and objective arbiter between clashing parties has taken a serious hit. Just one more example, added to a growing list of reasons, of the undermining of our stature on the world stage during the Trump Administration.
Which is exactly what those who wish to see us pull from our international responsibilities desire.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 
Gregory —
The Palestinians need to publicly recognize the legitimacy of the state of Israel. It should all follow that proclamation. You can’t “make peace” with a people who deny your right to exist.
We agree—but then also need to say that In 2011, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said in a speech to the Dutch parliament, in the Hague, that the Palestinian people recognize Israel’s right to exist.