The PLO has outlived its usefulness since the creation of the Palestinian Authority. It confuses negotiators as to who now makes decisions. Its leaders have been consistently against compromise. If these issues were factors, the decision to close the office in DC is justified.
I do caution that the PLO can create major problems for the Trump peace process. But given the tension between the PLO and the WH, it would probably do so if the office continued to function in DC.
Curious now what becomes of Husam Zomlot. I consider him to be an effective next generation PLO diplomat. But I don’t know how effective he would be back in Ramallah, where promising politicos are too often crushed by the old guard.
Last thought: The West Bank Palestinian leadership is now a three-headed monster: PLO, PA and Fatah. It’s a shell game to avoid responsibility. I’d welcome steps that would consolidate and simplify. I wonder if West Bankers would, too....
