'We have no option but to suspend recognition of Israel', says Erekat

The secretary of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Executive Committee has stressed that the Palestinians have no option but to suspend recognition of Israel, Thenewkhalij.org reported on Tuesday.

Saeb Erekat made his comment in response to reports that US President Donald Trump might participate in the official opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem in May. Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington and told him that he might take part in the opening ceremony.

“President Trump wanted to isolate Jerusalem,” said Erekat, “but he has isolated the US. We have no option but to suspend recognition of Israel until it recognises the state of Palestine.”

Read: Recognising Israel will never be free, insists Abbas

On 6 December last year, Trump recognised Jerusalem as the “eternal” capital of the state of Israel. He followed this breach of international law by saying that he will move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel in Palestine, an event which the Palestinians call the Nakba (“Catastrophe”).

The PLO recognised Israel officially in 1993, but Israel has yet to offer formal recognition of Palestine.