Transportation and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz (Likud) on Wednesday welcomed US President Donald Trump's decision to close Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) offices in Washington DC.

"This decision joins the decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the decision to stop funding UNRWA, which is an organization that perpetuates the refugees' pretend right of return,"Katz said. "All these steps reach the roots of the conflict and tell Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that he can not continue his double-talk."

"Trump is peeling the Palestinian lie like an onion - layer by layer. Their educational system as well teaches their children that 'big Palestine' is from the Jordan River to the sea. Trump cmes and says: 'If you want to sit and negotiate, do it from a realistic place - Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and there is no right of return. Abbas' response shows exactly what he thinks of these issues."

Katz also slammed Israeli leftists who oppose Trump's actions.

"They should have been the first ones supporting it, if they believe in negotiating based on something different," he said. "But they're so immersed in supporting the Palestinian narrative and blindly following whatever the Palestinian leaders say that they don't truly examine reality, and that's a shame."

Regarding whether he believes Trump's recent decisions will lead to another round of Arab violence, Katz said, "The security coordination between Israel and the Palestinian security forces happens first of all because it's worth it for Abbas. He's not doing it because he loves Zion, but because he understands that if Shabak (Israel Security Agency - ed.) isn't the one dealing with it and leading the activities against Hamas in Judea and Samaria, he'll be the first to go, and it'll happen within a few hours."

"If we are challenged security-wise, we'll respond in a different way but when the US President comes and says that no Palestinian has a right of return to Israel, and that Jerusalem is Israel's capital, we need to support that."