Date: Sep 17, 2018 Source: The Daily Star U.S. expels Palestinian envoy, closes his bank accounts BEIRUT/OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: The Palestinian envoy to Washington was ordered to leave the country Sunday, media reports said, days after the Palestinian diplomatic mission in the U.S. ceased operations. Husam Zomlot, who headed the Palestine Liberation Organization mission, said his residency permit and those of his family in the U.S. have been canceled and his bank accounts have been closed, according to Palestinian agency Maan News. The Palestinian leadership cut off contact with Washington after President Donald Trump recognized occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December. They accuse Trump of blatant bias in favor of Israel and say the U.S. president is blackmailing them to force them to accept the White House’s terms. Zomlot said in a statement to Palestinian news agencies that he considered Washington’s decisions to be part of its attack on the Palestinian leadership for rejecting Trump’s decision on Jerusalem. “Israel is a partner in the steps being taken in a hysterical and consecutive manner by the American administration,” Zumlot was quoted as saying. State Department officials Monday ordered the PLO office shuttered, in a bid to pressure the Palestinians to enter peace talks with Israel. U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said the mission was being shut because the PLO, in his words, had not taken steps toward negotiations with Israel. Zomlot Thursday denounced the “unfortunate and vindictive” move and said “it was unsurprising to us the Trump administration gave us only two choices: either we lose our relationship with the administration or we lose our rights as a nation.” In recent weeks, the U.S. government has announced more than $500 million in cuts in Palestinian aid, including cancelling support for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. A U.S. Embassy official Sunday said Washington has cut additional aid to Palestinians for programs supporting conflict resolution with Israel. The latest cuts come from $10 million in programs on reconciliation involving Palestinians as well as Jewish Israelis and 1948 Palestinians. It was not clear how much of the $10 million was being redirected. U.S. officials also could not confirm whether the latest cut meant all nonsecurity related aid to the Palestinians had now been eliminated. “As announced in August, the administration redirected more than $200 million that was originally planned for programs in the West Bank and Gaza,” a U.S. embassy official said. “At the same time we redirected a portion of the $10 million which was planned for conflict management and mitigation.” The official said the portion involving Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza would be used “to enhance” programs in Israel instead.