Pompeo, Palestinians have ‘nothing to discuss’ amid crisis

TEL AVIV, Israel — For decades, U.S. diplomats saw themselves as brokers between the two sides, and secretaries of state typically met Palestinian representatives on regional tours like this one. When relations between the two sides deteriorated, the United States sought to bridge the divide. No more. No one at the State Department called Palestinian leaders to ask for a gettogether with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during his visit to Israel this week, according to Palestinian officials. And that may be because the Americans knew the answer they would have gotten: No.

Infuriated by President Donald Trump’s decision in December to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, paving the way for the United States to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the contested holy city, Palestinian leaders have cut off political contacts with the Trump administration. They say the White House can no longer be considered an honest broker in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

“There’s nothing to discuss,” said Xavier Abu Eid, a senior official of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Negotiations Affairs Department.

In remarks Sunday in Tel Aviv while standing next to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Pompeo mentioned that the boundaries of Jerusalem should still be the subject of negotiations between the parties. “We remain committed to achieving a lasting and comprehensive peace that offers a brighter future for both Israel and the Palestinians,” he said.

But the escalating protests along the border between Gaza and Israel — which have led to hundreds of injuries and 46 deaths — went unmentioned.

“No meeting in Ramallah on his first visit sets an ominous tone about prospects for any progress, or even dialogue, with the Palestinians,” said Daniel B. Shapiro, a U.S. ambassador to Israel during the Obama administration.

Pompeo’s focused message has been a denunciation of Iran. He met with Saudi leaders Saturday and Sunday morning, and they all agreed that Iran is a destabilizing force. He met Sunday afternoon with Netanyahu, who blistered Iran alongside Pompeo.

And Monday, he is scheduled to meet King Abdullah of Jordan in Amman, when Iran is again likely to be the most important subject of conversation.

In two weeks, Trump is expected to walk away from the Iran nuclear accord, which he has denounced as “the worst ever.”

Countering Iran has become one of the few unambiguous policy themes of the administration.