Washington, DC - The relationship between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the administration of US President Donald Trump has climbed, dropped, rocketed and nosedived, all within the span of a single year.

Now on an uneasy plateau, the two sides are barely on speaking terms, due in large part to the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and Washington's plans to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the Holy City, reversing policy dating back to President Harry Truman's administration.

The roller coaster ride began after Trump became the unlikely winner of the 2016 US presidential election.

Palestinians feared that they were being shunned by his administration when it emerged that the billionaire tycoon's leading peace process advisers were staunch Israel supporters with various ties to settlement groups.

But these early concerns of isolation were dispelled by phone calls exchanged and meetings held between Trump and PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

At that time, the PA viewed Trump's lack of political experience and minimal grasp of foreign policy as an opportunity to breathe new life into the peace process, moribund since Barack Obama's last years in office.