Arab protest with PLO flag (file)
Arab protest with PLO flag (file)Flash 90

The State Department on Tuesday rejected calls by 32 congressional lawmakers, including Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, to close the Washington office of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Reuters reports. 

In a letter dated December 18 quoted by the news agency, the lawmakers called on Secretary of State John Kerry to revoke a waiver that allows the PLO office in Washington to remain open.

The lawmakers noted in their letter that Palestinian Arab leaders encouraged violence against Israelis, including a wave of knife-wielding attacks in recent months. 

"The United States government has an obligation to publicly denounce the PLO's actions and should immediately revoke its waiver," said the letter which was posted on Cruz's website and quoted by Reuters. "Allowing the PLO to maintain an office in Washington, D.C. provides no benefit to the United States or the peace process." 

Official Palestinian Authority (PA) media is filled with incitement against Israelis and its officials have continuously encouraged terrorist attacks against Israelis, including PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas who recently called on Palestinian Arabs to “liberate” the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem from Jews and their “filthy feet”.

Senior PLO Saeb Erekat recently paid a condolence visit to the family of a terrorist who shot and wounded two Israelis before being killed by the IDF.

But State Department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau on Tuesday rejected the lawmakers’ call, though she confirmed that the department had received the letter and said Kerry would respond to it.

"We believe that closing the PLO office would be detrimental to our ongoing efforts to calm tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, advance a two-state solution and strengthen the U.S.-Palestinian partnership," Trudeau told reporters, according to Reuters, noting every administration since 1994 had used the waiver to keep the PLO office open. 

"We believe the PLO has a valid place... and we'd oppose those efforts to close the office," Trudeau said, adding that Kerry had condemned the attacks.

The letter marks the second time in the past month that Cruz has gone after the PLO due to its encouragement of terrorism.

In November, Cruz oversaw a hearing on Palestinian terrorism which the PLO took exception to and criticized the presidential candidate as an “Israel apologist”.

Cruz fired back, saying, "It is not surprising a terrorist organization like the PLO is upset with the truths that were told at our hearing."