The United States is pressuring the Palestinian Authority (PA) to stop its request for "full UN membership" and pushing a plan to ensure calm in the West Bank, according to a Palestinian source.
The source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the US envoy, Hady Amr, arrived in Ramallah on Wednesday, ahead of the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Barbara Leaf, who will visit Tel Aviv and Ramallah.
The source said that the US focuses on two main issues including blocking the Palestinian movement to obtain full membership at the UN because that would embarrass Washington, which may resort to veto at some point.
The second issue is maintaining calm in the West Bank, pushing forward Israeli facilities, and strengthening the Palestinian economy.
Leaf is supposed to arrive in Tel Aviv first, where she will meet Israeli officials, including Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata.
According to the Israeli Walla website, she will head to Ramallah and meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his aides.
On Wednesday, Amr met Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, who stressed the need for the US to fulfill its promises towards Palestine and support its move to request "full membership" in the UN.
Shtayyeh stressed that the Palestinian people and leadership are facing considerable pressure.
He explained that Israel is escalating its unprecedented repressive measures, including the incursions into al-Aqsa mosque, arrests, extrajudicial killings, and appropriation of land, and there is no political horizon amid the problematic financial situation on the other.
"We seek to revive the political file again by requesting to become a full state membership at the UN in light of the absence of political initiatives to resolve the Palestinian issue," said Shtayyeh, calling on the US not to disrupt these efforts and recognize the State of Palestine.
The premier briefed the US envoy on the progress in implementing the financial and administrative reform agenda and steps taken in various fields to reduce expenditures and face the financial crisis.
He also discussed the financial challenges caused by the illegal Israeli deductions of Palestinian tax revenues and the drop in international assistance.
