Palestinian Authority cuts security ties with US, Israel following Trump peace plan announcement

The Palestinian Authority on Saturday severed security ties with the United States and Israel following the introduction of President Trump’s Middle East peace plan earlier in the week.

“We’ve informed the Israeli side…that there will be no relations at all with them and the United States including security ties,” Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told a group of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, Reuters reports. 

The Palestinian president was in Cairo to address the Arab league, a group that has backed the Palestinians’ rejection of President Trump’s peace plan. Abbas has described the plan as “nonsense.”

Abbas also said that he denied an offer to talk on the phone with Trump and refused to accept a letter written by him as well.

The leaders in attendance said that the plan “did not meet the minimum aspirations of the Palestinians” according to the news source. 

Trump reportedly consulted with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz – Netanyahu’s political rival – in making the plan, but failed to include Palestine in the discussions.

Until now, the Palestinian Authority’s security forces had intelligence cooperation agreements with the CIA, and the Palestinian and Israeli forces had jointly policed parts of the West Bank that are under Palestinian control.

Under Trump’s plan, the U.S. would recognize Israeli settlements on the occupied West Bank, something that has long been a non-starter for Palestine.