Jerusalem –
President Palestine Mahmoud Abbas congratulate the US President-elect, Joe Biden. In his statement, Abbas indicated he would cancel his three-year political boycott of the White House.
“I congratulate President-elect Joe Biden on his victory as President of the United States for the coming period,” Abbas said as quoted by Reuters, Sunday (8/11/2020).
“I look forward to working with the President-elect and his administration to strengthen Palestinian-American relations and to achieve freedom, independence, justice and dignity for our people,” he continued.
Trump’s actions, which violate decades of US policy, delight Israel but have angered Palestinians. Palestinians perceive Trump’s support for Israel as undermining their own country’s goals.
President Abbas’s boycott policy was popular with Palestinians, who celebrated Trump’s defeat and took to the streets. In the days before the election, Abbas’s inner circle met to discuss whether they should continue political contact with the White House if Biden Wins.
A senior member of Abbas’s Palestine Liberation Organization, Bassam Al-Salhe, said the boycott was linked to what he called the Trump administration’s “hostile policies”.
“When Biden announces that this will change – and he announces that during his election campaign – there will be no excuse for a boycott,” he said.
(azr / azr)
– .
