US ‘disqualified itself from Middle East peace process,’ Abbas says on Paris visit

The US has “disqualified” itself from the Middle East peace process due to its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in Paris on Friday. “The US are no longer an honest mediator in the peace process, we will not accept any plan put forward by the US,” Abbas said at a joint news briefing with French President Emmanuel Macron. Abbas also condemned a threat by US President Donald Trump to cut off financial aid to countries that voted at the UN against Washington’s decision. Macron reiterated on Friday that France remained committed to a “two-state” solution, namely one in which Israel and Palestine peacefully co-exist side-by-side with one another, Reuters said.