It has been American policy for decades, enshrined in the Middle East Peace Commitments Act and other laws, that Palestinians must honor agreements to negotiate with Israel, and not pursue unilateral actions. However, the Palestinian Authority has repeatedly broken its agreements by trying to isolate Israel through international institutions, and by seeking unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood through those same institutions. Therefore, President Donald Trump’s administration slapped sanctions on the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) for seeking statehood outside of a formal agreement with Israel.
