The Palestinian leadership on Friday slammed a US decision to open its embassy in Beit-ul-Moqaddas in May, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of Israel’s creation, as “a provocation to Arabs”.
US President Donald Trump announced last December that the United States recognized Beit-ul-Moqaddas as Israel’s capital, infuriating even Washington’s Arab allies and dismaying Palestinians who want the eastern part of the city as their capital, TRT reported.
“We are excited about taking this historic step and look forward with anticipation to the May opening,” US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, noting that it will coincide with Israel’s 70th anniversary.
The founding of Israel seven decades ago on May 14, 1948 is mourned by Palestinians as the Nakba, or “catastrophe.”
“The American administration’s decisions to recognize Beit-ul-Moqaddas as Israel’s capital and choose the Palestinian people’s Nakba as the date for this step is a blatant violation of international law,” Palestine Liberation Organization number two Saeb Erekat told AFP .
He said the result would be “the destruction of the two-state option, as well as a blatant provocation to all Arabs and Muslims.”
“This is an unacceptable step. Any unilateral move will not give legitimacy to anyone and will be an obstacle to any effort to create peace in the region,” said Nabil Abu Rdainah, a spokesman for the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, who is in the United States until Saturday.
Meanwhile, Turkey said on Saturday the move disregarded decision by the United Nations and Organization for Islamic Cooperation and showed the United States insisted on damaging peace.
In a statement, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the decision was “very worrying”.
In December, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted an OIC summit of more than 50 countries in Istanbul, where Muslim leaders condemned the US decision to recognize Beit-ul-Moqaddas as Israel’s capital.
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