Palestinian official warns US against relocating Israel embassy to al-Quds

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - A top Palestinian official warned US against relocating its embassy in Israel to al-Quds (Jerusalem) that could initiate a popular outrage.

The head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has warned that such move could lead to a popular Arab outrage forcing the closure of all American embassies in the Arab world.

The umbrella group’s Secretary General Sa’eb Erekat delivered the warning on Monday, speaking during a conference call organized by the Wilson Center policy forum in Washington, DC.

There has been speculation that the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump may decide to move the American embassy to al-Quds in a sign of the recognition of the city as the capital of the Israeli regime.

This is while Palestinians want the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, as part of a future Palestinian state, with al-Quds there as its capital.

On Friday, Trump announced his decision to nominate hardliner David Friedman as the US’s ambassador to Tel Aviv. Friedman is notorious for his fervent support of illegal settlement expansion in the occupied territories, and has been characterized as an “obstacle to peace” by successive US administrations. He has said that he plans to work at “the US embassy in Israel’s eternal capital, Jerusalem.”

Erekat, the Palestinian official, hinted that the public in Arab countries would revolt against such a scenario.

He said all American embassies in the Arab world would be forced to close — not necessarily because Arab governments would decide to expel the US missions but because the Arab publics would not allow the embassies to continue to operate.

Erekat also said the potential move would deliver a death blow to any prospect of the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict and would have the PLO rescind all agreements with Tel Aviv.

In early December, US President Barack Obama renewed a presidential waiver ordering the US embassy to remain in Tel Aviv, despite pressure by the Congress and Israeli regime not to do so.





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