(JTA) — The PLO office in Washington raised a flag for the first time since the Obama administration granted the delegation, which does not have embassy status, permission to raise the flag last July.
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, condemned the flag raising.
"Raising this flag in D.C. is part of the Palestinian leadership’s scheme to manipulate international acceptance and diplomatic recognition of a yet-to-be-created Palestinian state while refusing to directly negotiate with Israel or accept the existence of Israel as a democratic, Jewish state," she said.
Ros-Lehtinen reiterated a call on the Obama administration to shut down the office as long as the Palestinians refuse to return to direct talks.
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