U.S. won’t call Palestinian Authority ‘State of Palestine’

Washington, DC, United States (4E) – The U.S. State Department said Monday that Washington will continue to call the Palestinian Authority (PA) as such and not as “State of Palestine.”

State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland stressed the U.S. position to reporters during a press briefing following PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ decree on Sunday to rename the organization as “State of Palestine.”

She said the position will remain until a negotiated agreement on Palestinian statehood is reached.

Nuland said the creation of a state of Palestine can only be achieved through bilateral negotiations with Israel.

Nuland also revealed that U.S. special envoy David Hale will meet with Abbas Tuesday to tell the Palestinian leader that the use of “State of Palestine” is a “bad idea” and that they need to return to the negotiating table.

Abbas’ decree is for the name “State of Palestine” to be used on all official stamps including identity cards, driving licenses, official documents, passports and official letterheads within two months. The renaming, according to Abbas, stresses Palestinian sovereignty and independence following the PA’s successful bid to become a non-member observer in the United Nations in November.

Israel failed to prevent the upgrading of the Palestinians’ status in the U.N. and retaliated by announcing the building of Jewish settlements in disputed Palestinian territory in Israel.

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