RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinians are warning the United States against recognising occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s adviser Mahmoud Habash said Saturday that if President Donald Trump were to do so it would amount to a “complete destruction of the peace process.”
Speaking in Abbas’ presence, Habash said “the world will pay the price” for any change in occupied Jerusalem’s status.
- Ahmad Abu Al Geit, Arab League Secretary-General
Officials in Washington say Trump is considering recognising occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as a way to offset his likely decision to delay his campaign promise of moving the US embassy there.
The Israeli regime regards occupied Jerusalem as its “capital”, a position nearly the entire world rejects, saying its status should be determined in peace talks with the Palestinians. The Palestinians claim the eastern part of the city as their future capital.
Meanwhile, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmad Abu Al Geit said on Saturday that any move by the United States to recognise occupied Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would fuel extremism and violence. “Today we say very clearly that taking such action is not justified ... It will not serve peace or stability, but will fuel extremism and resort to violence,” Abu Al Geit said in a statement published on the Arab League’s website.
“It only benefits one side; the Israeli government that is hostile to peace,” he added.
Member of Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Executive Committee Hanan Ashrawi said that “such a step would destabilise the whole region, destroy the peace process, disqualify the US from its role in the region and generate a new wave of extremism”.
“I hope that nobody would take such a step. This would be an extremely irresponsible and dangerous,” said Ashrawi, who is also the head of Information and Culture Department.
She called the move “very dangerous and would transform into a religious issue”, Xinhua news agency reported.
For its part, Hamas Gaza called Saturday for a new “intifada” if Washington recognises occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or moves its embassy to the disputed city.
“We warn against such a move and call on the Palestinian people to revive the intifada if these unjust decisions on Jerusalem are adopted,” Hamas said in a statement.
Any decision to move its embassy there would be “a flagrant attack on the city by the American administration” and give Israel “a cover for continuing its crime of Judaising the city and emptying it of Palestinians,” it said.
—AP
