Palestinians call for closure of US mission in Palestine

Palestinians hold placards demanding the closure of the American security, political, cultural and economic representations in front of America House in Ramallah, West Bank on 28 February 2018. [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

Palestinians hold placards demanding the closure of the American security, political, cultural and economic representations in front of America House in Ramallah, West Bank on 28 February 2018. [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

Palestinians hold placards demanding the closure of the American security, political, cultural and economic representations in front of America House in Ramallah, West Bank on 28 February 2018. [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

Palestinians hold placards demanding the closure of the American security, political, cultural and economic representations in front of America House in Ramallah, West Bank on 28 February 2018. [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

Palestinians hold placards demanding the closure of the American security, political, cultural and economic representations in front of America House in Ramallah, West Bank on 28 February 2018. [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

Palestinians hold placards demanding the closure of the American security, political, cultural and economic representations in front of America House in Ramallah, West Bank on 28 February 2018. [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

Scores of Palestinians demonstrated yesterday calling the US’ security, political, cultural and economic offices in Palestine to be closed down in protest against President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The protest was held outside America House in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, where demonstrators waved flags that condemned that US policy towards the Palestinian issue.

They called for the expulsion of American diplomats as well as the closure of the US mission.

Slamming Trump’s decision on Jerusalem, the protesters chanted “Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Palestine” and “the US is the occupation’s [Israel] partner in the aggression.”

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On the sidelines of the demonstration, the Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative, Mustafa Barghouthi, told the Anadolu Agency that the continued operation of the mission is “unacceptable after its stance towards Jerusalem”.

We reject any American peace solution or proposal. The US is a partner in the occupation of our country

Barghouthi stressed.

“We call for the expulsion of all the American government workers from our homeland,” Barghouthi said.

America House was established in Ramallah in 2010 and is affiliated with the US Consulate General in Jerusalem. According to the US mission’s official Facebook page, it aims to “spread American culture” across the occupied territory.

On 6 December, Trump officially recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, triggering a global outcry and protests across the Palestinian territories.