The U.S. threatened to cut off aid from Palestine if the Palestinian Authority (PA) resumed its efforts to gain the international recognition of state next September, said the chief of the Palestinian negotiators, Saeb Erekat. The U.S. and Israel strongly oppose the Palestinian step raising the necessity of the establishment of the Palestinian state through negotiations. Direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine were suspended due to the Israeli insistence on resuming their settlement activities. Erekat said the U.S. Consul told him the U.S. will take punitive action against Palestinians if they insisted on gaining the international individual recognition. Erekat added the U.S. official warned him of suspension of aids package offered by the U.S Administration to the Palestinian Authority. In addition, the U.S. official threatened other punitive measures would be taken by the U.S Congress. The U.S. consulate refused to comment on Erekat's declarations. Palestinians consider gaining international recognition an important message to Israel and its allies, aiming to pressure Israel to offer concessions of peace.
