Palestinian office closed because rent not paid

The Palestine Liberation Organization has been evicted from its downtown Washington office for failure to pay rent.

Hassan Abdel Rahman, the PLO's chief representative in Washington, confirmed the eviction and said the reasons were political.

He acknowledged that rental payments had been in arrears but said similar problems in the past had been resolved amicably with the landlord. This time, he said, the landlord would not negotiate.

He attributed the eviction to widespread sympathy for Israel in Washington.

"Pro-Israeli sentiment is making life a little bit difficult for us," he said. The eviction is part of an effort "to isolate and shut off the Palestinian voice." In effect, the landlord said, "No, we don't want you," Mr Rahman said, adding that his aides have been looking for new quarters.

The office has been the scene of anti-Palestinian demonstrations from time to time but Mr Rahman said he did not believe those activities were responsible for the eviction.

The property management company, Cushman and Wakefield, said the PLO was in arrears in its rent payments over an extended period for the second time in less than a year.

This resulted in a "judgment for possession" that led to the PLO's vacating the property on April 6, the statement said.

The eviction was first reported by the Jerusalem Post.