PA cuts ties with pro-Palestinian U.S. lobby over criticism of UN statehood bid

[oberliner]

The Palestinian Authority has cut ties with a major U.S. pro-Palestinian lobby on Thursday, in what seemed to be continued fallout over the group's conspicuous criticism of a Palestinian move to gain recognition in the United Nations.

The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) had been a key link between the Palestinian leadership and the U.S. administration in recent years, especially due to the lobby's moderate political stance, and as a result of the friendship between the lobby's head, Dr. Ziad J. Asali, and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.

However, the sound relationship between the PA and the ATFP began fraying over efforts by the head of the Palestinian delegation to the U.S., Ma'an Erekat, to distance the pro-Palestinian lobby.

Those tensions increased dramatically, additionally, over the Palestinian bid for statehood at the UN late last month, a move Asali openly criticized for its potential to mire relations with U.S. President Barack Obama's administration.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/pa-cuts-ties-with-pro-palestinian-u-s-lobby-over-criticism-of-un-statehood-bid-1.389886

[azurnoir]

1. It will be of interest to see if Salam Fayyad still addresses their conference

on October 19, however seeing as how ATFP operates on US soil it seems expedient of them to take the stance they do