Palestinians warn against moving U.S. embassy to Jerusalem

Member of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee Hanan Ashrawi warned Saturday against U.S. considering moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Also head of Information and Culture Department, Ashrawi said "such a step would destabilize the whole region, destroy the peace process, disqualify the U.S. from its role in the region and generate a new wave of extremism."

"I hope that nobody would take such a step; this would be an extremely irresponsible and dangerous," she said, warning that it is "very dangerous and would transform into a religious issue."

On Friday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeinah said that the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, or moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is "equal dangerous to the future of the peace process and would take the region into the square of instability."

Abu Rudeinha stressed that any just solution of the Palestinian Israeli conflict should guarantee that East Jerusalem is the capital of the independent state of Palestine, cautioning that "failing to reach a solution to the Palestinian cause will prolong tensions, chaos and violence that are prevalent in the region and the world."

Media reports said that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering recognizing Jerusalem as a capital of Israel and may announce that next Wednesday.

Trump issued an exceptional decision to keep the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv last June, which is expected to expire this month, but it is not clear yet if Trump will renew his decision or not.

The issue of moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem is considered by Palestinians as a provocation and deconstruction of the peace talks.

The peace talks between Palestine and Israel have been stalled since April 2014. The U.S.-sponsored talks that lasted for nine months achieved no tangible results.

source: Xinhua