WASHINGTON 19 Nov (ANA) — The Palestinians threatened on Saturday to suspend all communication with the United States if the Trump administration follows through with plans to close their diplomatic office in Washington. The potential rupture in relations threatens to undermine President Trump's bid for Mideast peace — a mission he has handed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the U.S. decision was "very unfortunate and unacceptable," and accused Washington of bowing to pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government "at a time when we are trying to cooperate to achieve the ultimate deal." "We will put on hold all our communications with this American administration," Erekat said in a video statement on social media. There was no immediate reaction from the Trump administration. Netanyahu's office said the closure was "a matter of U.S. law." U.S. officials had insisted before Erekat's statement that the move wasn't aimed at increasing leverage over the Palestinians, but merely the unavoidable consequence of U.S. law.

The administration announced late Friday that the Palestinians had run afoul of a legal provision that says the Palestine Liberation Organization cannot operate a Washington office if the Palestinians try to get the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israelis for crimes against Palestinians.(ANA)

FA/ANA/19 November 2017--------