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PA threatens to retaliate when US embassy moves to Jerusalem

May 9, 2018 at 1:11 pm

Member of the PLO’s Executive Committee Ahmed Majdalani said yesterday that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is to take a political decision in retaliation against the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem, Quds Press reported.

Majdalani said that the retaliation wound include “submitting a number of cases to the International Criminal Court, joining specialised international bodies and agencies, reinforcing popular resistance and other measures.”

He went on to describe the US’ move as “dangerous” and “a provocation for Palestinians”.

“This is not only an oppressive decision, but it is aimed at reinforcing the historical oppression of the Palestinians on the 70th anniversary of their Nakba.”

Read: UNRWA, the US Embassy move and the Israeli occupation

In December last year Trump announced his administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and plans to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the occupied city. The decision was met with near unanimous condemnation from the international community, with the UN General Assembly voting to reject the decision.

It is not yet clear if US President Donald Trump will attend the ceremony, however his daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner, confirmed that they will be in attendance on 14 May.

Part of the diplomatic compound that is scheduled to open as the embassy lies in the contested No Man’s Land between East and West Jerusalem. Israel took control of the area in the 1967 war and so it is still considered occupied territory by the United Nations, although the US relies on the fact that Israel and Jordan had informally divided management of the contested enclave.