WASHINGTON EXAMINER, November 21, 2017–The State Department on Tuesday insisted it was not abandoning efforts to negotiate a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, even though the Trump administration is threatening to close the PLO’s mission in Washington, D.C.

The Trump administration said Friday it could not certify that that the PLO was meeting the terms of a U.S. law that requires its office to be shuttered if the group takes action against the Israel in the International Criminal Court. The PLO has called on the ICC to pursue war crimes charges against Israel, which the department said triggered the law.

But on Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert indicated the U.S. is still talking to the PLO about how to keep the office open.

“Conversations will be taking place,” she said. “We are in contact with the Palestinian officials about the status of that PLO office.”

“These conversations are underway,” she added. “I saw reports earlier this morning that conversations are not. I can assure you they are still underway. We are not giving up on the plan for peace. We are not doing that.”

Nauert didn’t indicate whether or how the administration might be able to find the PLO in compliance with U.S. law, given the group’s stance in the ICC. But she indicated that the Trump administration is pushing for some solution by noting the importance of peace in the Middle East to top U.S. officials.

“You know how important that is to this administration, to Mr. Kushner and also to Jason Greenblatt as well,” she said, referring to Trump’s son-in-law and top aide, and Greenblatt, who is a senior aide charged with Middle East peace negotiations.