Washington, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Palestinian Authority (PA) is desperately seeking to ensure some presence, even a symbolic one, when US President Barack Obama visits Jerusalem next week.

Obama begins his three-day visit to Israel and the West Back on 20 March. There are also reports that he intends to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque in Eastern Jerusalem, which the Palestinian consider the capital of any future state. Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad Al-Maliki told Palestinian National Radio that any visit to Jerusalem must be coordinated with the Palestinian side.

He said: “Jerusalem is occupied Palestinian territory and visiting it should be coordinated with the Palestinian side, with Palestinian attendance and participation.”

The Palestinians have asked the Americans to agree on the details of any visit to eastern Jerusalem. Maliki also confirmed that the PA is contact with the White House as part of attempts to reach an agreement over the itinerary of Obama’s visit to the West Bank.

However it appears that Washington has so far failed to respond to the Palestinian demands. A well-informed source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the precise details of Obama’s visit remain unclear.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper claimed that Obama will also visit the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The Palestinian Foreign Minister said: “We welcome the presence of the US president on the territory of the Palestinian state whether this is in Bethlehem or Ramallah.”

Both the Israeli authorities and the PA are paying significant attention to Obama’s upcoming visit, however not all Palestinians are as welcoming as the Maliki. A number of Islamist groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Hamas have warned Obama against visiting Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Hamas spokesman, Mushir Al-Masri, warned that President Obama visiting the Temple Mount would be a “declaration of war” against the Islamic world.

He called for a “third intifada” should Obama seek to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque while it remains under Israeli occupation.

A Palestinian grassroots groups is also planning demonstrations against Obama’s visit and expected pressure to resume what it has dubbed “useless” peace negotiations with Tel Aviv.

“You are not welcome in Palestine,” read a banner on the “Palestinians for Dignity” Facebook page, depicting an image of President Obama.

The group called on Palestinians to take to the streets and protest against Obama’s visit, in addition to criticizing the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) for ignoring Obama’s role in thwarting the Palestinian bid for statehood.

An official statement issued by the group called on Palestinians to “reject US President Obama’s visit to the occupied Palestinian territories expected between 20-22 March and to demonstrate against the possible return to negotiations.”

The statement emphasized: “President Obama’s visit to the occupied Palestinian territory comes at a time when our prisoners are waging a hunger strike battle in the face of Israeli government obstinacy, and in the face of US silence towards the slow murder these heroes are being subjected to” adding “moreover, the visit comes in light of the continued international isolation of Israel and the ever-increasing boycott campaign against it.”

The statement concluded: “We call on the masses of the Palestinian people to change this path and demonstrate against receiving he who considers Israel ‘the closest ally in the region’, and to refuse the return to futile negotiations. We call for entrenching the sacrifices of the martyrs and prisoners by refusing to surrender and to work with the Palestinians everywhere to establish a strategic program of resistance, where political, economic, military, popular, and various other forms of resistance and duties are shared. We invite you to take to the street on the expected day of the visit . . . to restore part of our dignity and reject Western hegemony, and Zionist colonialism and internal consent.”

In Washington, Obama met with the leaders of several Arab-American organizations at the White House earlier this week. The leaders called on Obama to offer a positive message to the people of Palestinian during his forthcoming visit.

In a statement issued following the meeting, the Arab-American leaders welcomed the White House’s invitation to talks as a positive step, and expressed hope that this would continue in the future. The statement read: “We thank President Obama for engaging Arab American leaders in this critical dialogue, and we look forward to using this meeting as a springboard for robust on-going conversations on US policy in the Middle East.”

The statement added: “Today’s meeting was an important opportunity for Arab-Americans to share our views, and continue to serve as a bridge between the US and the Arab world. Our meeting underscored the president’s recognition of the importance of our community’s contributions to discussions of policy in the region.”

However the official White House statement downplayed any potential effort by Obama to restart peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

The statement emphasized that during his meeting with Arab-American leaders, Obama “underscored [that] the trip is an opportunity for him to demonstrate the United States’ commitment to the Palestinian people—in the West Bank and Gaza—and to partnering with the Palestinian Authority as it continues building institutions that will be necessary to bring about a truly independent Palestinian state.”

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Friday that Obama’s primary goals for his upcoming visit are to demonstrate his commitment to Israel’s security and discuss hot button issues in the Middle East with regional leaders.

He said: “While the President is not going with any specific peace plan in hand, the president’s views [are that] it’s in the best interest of both parties, both Palestinians and the Israelis, to pursue a peace agreement.”

Raed Jarrar, Communications Director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), informed Asharq Al-Awsat that members of the American Task Force for Palestine, the Arab American Institute, the American Federation of Ramallah Palestine, and the ADC itself participated in this meeting.

He added that the four institutes had issued a joint-statement confirming that “the US, through its enduring and balanced commitment, can facilitate a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” adding “this is something that is necessary for long-term security in the Middle East.”

Jarrar commended President Obama for putting aside time to speak with Arab-American leaders and groups regarding this critical debate, saying that the meeting represented the “beginning of an on-going dialogue regarding US policies in the Middle East.”

He also revealed that the Arab-American delegation had expressed its “displeasure” at the lack of any movement or progress in the peace process, saying that Obama’s visit must focus on a number of key issues.

Jarrar also informed Asharq Al-Awsat that the four Arab-American groups had put forward a number of proposals including “reviewing the unlimited US financial support to Israel, imposing a freeze on Israeli settlement building in the West Bank, removing any obstacles in the face of inter-Palestinian reconciliation, if not actively supporting this, and removing the obstacles imposed by Israel on Arab-Americans wanting to visit their families [in Palestine].”