BICOM

A small crowd of protesters in the West Bank city of Ramallah yesterday held a demonstration to protest US policy vis-a-vis the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The protesters blocked a convoy of vehicles transporting US diplomats to a reception in the city, and accosted US diplomats. The diplomats were due to attend a reception reaffirming American cultural and educational ties with the Palestinians.

The demonstrations reflect a mood of widespread anger against Washington currently prevailing in the West Bank. This is in part derived from Congress’s decision to put $200 million in economic assistance on hold, following the Palestinian Authority’s efforts to seek UN recognition of a Palestinian state outside of the framework of US-sponsored diplomatic process. Many Palestinians were also angered by President Barack Obama’s recent speech to the UN General Assembly on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, which they regarded as excessively sympathetic to Israel.