America turns its back on the Palestinian leadership

FORTY years ago the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) took a first step to representation in Washington, DC. President Jimmy Carter allowed it to open a three-person “information office” in 1978, though it was then considered a terrorist group. It was a move towards an American-brokered peace process meant to lead to a two-state solution. The relationship was often rocky. Ronald Reagan wanted to close the office. George Bush senior was furious that the PLO supported Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. But it endured, and the peace process became central to American diplomacy. Perhaps no longer.