US plan to move embassy to Jerusalem 'danger' to peace

By Qays Abu Samra, Mahmut and Afra Aksoy

RAMALLAH/GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas on Sunday warned against U.S. plans to relocate its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, saying that such a move would jeopardize the future of the political process in the region.

His remarks came amid recent media reports that U.S. President Donald Trump was preparing to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

According to Palestine's official news agency WAFA, Abbas met with a delegation from the Democracy Front for Equality and Peace (Hadash) in Ramallah.

"Any step that the U.S. takes to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital or to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would endanger the future of the political process," Abbas said during the meeting.

The president added that Arab countries including and the international community would not recognize such a move by the U.S. administration.

Meanwhile, President Abbas and Hamas’ political chief Ismail Haniyeh spoke on the phone about the U.S. plan to move the embassy to Jerusalem, according to the latter’s office on late Sunday.

Haniyeh described the U.S. move as “very risky” and called for unity among the Palestinian groups.

The Palestinian leader has also spoken to many world leaders to prevent the US plan to relocate its embassy in Israel, according to Palestine's official news agency WAFA on Sunday.

He sent statements to the African Union, the Arab League, Organization of Islamic Cooperation as well Quartet on the Middle East namely “the U.N, the U.S., Russia, and the E.U.

Abbas wrote in the statement that such a decision would “ax the peace process,” and lead more instability in the region.

Earlier on Sunday, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Maliki called on the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to convene to discuss the situation in Jerusalem.

The top Palestinian diplomat called for the emergency meetings during phone calls with Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit and OIC Secretary-General Yousef al-Othaimeen, according to a statement by the Palestinian Foreign Ministry.

Al-Maliki warned that such a U.S. move "would have grave consequences" and would "blow up the situation in the Palestinian territories and the region".

Jerusalem remains at the core of the perennial Israel-Palestine conflict, as Palestinians want Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state.

During his election, Trump promised to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.