RAMALLAH, December 21, 2017 (WAFA) – The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) said on Thursday that threats by the United States to punish countries that vote in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution on Jerusalem is not going to deter or intimidate these countries.

US President Donald Trump has threatened UN member states that US assistance to their countries is conditional upon their total obeisance to Trump‘s dictates.

“All of these nations that take our money and then they vote against us at the (UN) Security Council or they vote against us, potentially, at the (General) Assembly, they take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars and then they vote against us,” Trump said at his cabinet meeting. “Well, we’re watching those votes. Let them vote against us; we’ll save a lot. We don’t care.”

Responding to Trump’s threats, Hanan Ashrawi, member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, described them as blackmail and extortion.

"President Trump should know that there are things that are not for sale or subject to blackmail, particularly issues of principle, legality and morality. Extortion is the most effective way for the US to isolate itself even further and to weaken its influence and standing globally,” she said.

“We will not be deterred or intimidated. The overwhelming majority of the UN General Assembly members will honor their own legal and political obligations on Palestine," stressed the PLO official.

The Palestinians have vowed to defeat a December 6 US decision recognizing Jerusalem as capital of Israel.

The issue was first taken to Security Council, but after the US has vetoed a resolution calling for annulling the US decision on Jerusalem, it was taken to the General Assembly where US does not have a veto power.

The General Assembly is expected to vote on that resolution on Thursday.

M.K.