Trump Mideast envoy slams Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat

US President Donald Trump's special Mideast envoy has lashed out at a veteran Palestinian negotiator, saying his "false claims" and rhetoric haven't brought peace closer.

Jason Greenblatt was responding on Sunday in Israel's Haaretz newspaper to an earlier op-ed by negotiator and Palestine Liberation Organisation secretary-general Saeb Erekat accusing American officials of acting as "spokespeople" for Israel.

Greenblatt wrote: "Dr. Erekat — we have heard your voice for decades and it has not achieved anything close to Palestinian aspirations or anything close to a comprehensive peace agreement."

He wrote "the notion that Israel is going away — or that Jerusalem is not its capital — is a mirage."

The international community and Palestinians were outraged by Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, breaking with decades of US policy on the disputed city.

East Jerusalem is considered occupied Palestinian territory under international law.

Palestinian leaders have grown frustrated with the White House after initially holding out hope that Trump could bring a fresh approach to peace efforts despite his pledges of staunch support for Israel.

Last year, Trump announced that the United States would not insist on a two-state solution to the conflict, in a break from Washington's decades-old policy and from the international consensus on the peace process.

The Israeli-Palestinian peace process has been deadlocked since a major push by the administration of Trump's predecessor Barack Obama ended in failure in April 2014.

The Palestinians hope that greater international involvement in the peace process will serve to counter what they see as a US stance biased in favour of Israel after Trump's decision on Jerusalem.