WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
by Staff
June 30, 2014

While AP reporter Matt Lee pressed State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki on the United States’ relationship with Palestine, Psaki maintained that President Abbas and his technocratic government “are making every effort” to abide by U.S. requirements, including the rejection of violence.

Lee questioned Psaki about the recently confirmed deaths of three kidnapped Israeli teenagers, but Psaki declined to predict how the matter might weigh into the United States’ relationship with Palestine. Lee continued, “There also, I think — for — more than a dozen rockets that were fired into Southern Israel from Gaza today. Is that something that would make you rethink your position as it relates to the Palestinian government?”

Psaki replied that the State Department would “continue to review and take a look at the circumstances at the ground on a daily basis”, but that “I don’t have anything new to predict for you or outline”, indicating that the United States maintains its support for the Palestinian government.

“Do you think right now that they are abiding by the requirements?” Lee asked.

“Well,” Psaki answered, “I think the Palestinian Authority and President Abbas and the technocratic government that doesn’t involve members of Hamas — yes, they are making every effort to.”

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State Dept Claims Palestinian Govt ‘Making Every Effort’ to Abide by U.S. Requirements