OIC calls on US to reverse decision to close PLO office

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Wednesday called on the U.S. to reverse its recent decision to close the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)’s office in Washington.

In a statement, the OIC said the U.S. decision “does not serve the cause of peace… and undermines efforts to reach a two-state solution” to the decades-long Israel-Palestine conflict.

In the same statement, the OIC’s general-secretariat reiterated its support for the PLO, describing the latter as the “sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people in their efforts to find a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian question”.

On Monday, the U.S. administration announced the closure of the PLO’s Washington office, which also serves as a Palestinian embassy.

Notably, the move came shortly after the U.S. cancelled all funding to UNRWA, the UN’s cash-strapped Palestinian refugee agency.

The decision also comes as the U.S. administration prepares to unveil a controversial Middle East peace plan, details of which have yet to be made public.

Palestinian officials, however, have rejected any U.S. role in the peace process since U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital last year.