RAMALLAH, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Information Nabil Abu Rudeinah said Thursday the Palestinian leadership has rejected a request by visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to hold bilateral talks.
Abu Rudeinah told reporters at a press conference in West Bank city of Ramallah that, in response to Pompeo's request, the Palestinian leadership held that there would be no contact with the U.S. unless it withdraws its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
He mentioned that Washington used "mediation by several parties to hold contact with the Palestinian leadership, but it was reiterated that without backing down from its decisions towards Jerusalem, there would be no relations."
Pompeo, who is on a Middle East tour that started in Kuwait, arrived in Israel Wednesday and met with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Abu Rudeinah accused the U.S. government of trying to influence some countries in the region to draw them toward the U.S. position, adding that "we affirm that what the Palestinians do not accept will be unacceptable for any Arab state."
He also urged Israel to stop settlement activities in the Palestinian territories and honor the signed agreements, or the Palestinians will sever ties with Israel.
The Palestinian side has boycotted the U.S. administration led by President Donald Trump since Washington recognized the disputed holy city of Jerusalem as Israel's capital in later 2017 and moved the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem in last May.
