PA may revoke recognition of Israel if US moves embassy

Palestinian Authority Chairman Abbas says rescinding the body’s recognition of Israel is one of several options under consideration if the US moves its embassy to Jerusalem. 

Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview that was released on Friday by the French outlet Le Figaro, that the PA may rescind its recognition of the state of Israel if US president-elect Donald Trump follows through with his plan to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

“There would be several options for us, and we would discuss them with Arab countries,” Abbas said. “Reversing our recognition of the State of Israel is one of them. But we hope that it doesn’t reach that point, and that, on the contrary, we will be able to work with the next American administration.”

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) had recognized the state of Israel’s existence in 1988 as part of a campaign to accrue international legitimacy and from the west in particular. The PA was founded by the PLO as a new governing body to represent Palestinians during the Oslo process in the 1990s when Israel engaged in peace talks with the PLO.

During the interview, Abbas referred back to his previous letter to the US president-elect, asking him not to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.

“I wrote to president[-elect] Trump to ask him not to do it,” Abbas noted, arguing that it would destroy any prospect of a two-state solution between Israel and the PA.

Despite warnings from Abbas and other Palestinian officials, as well as from outgoing US Secretary of State John Kerry against doing so, Trump’s transition team reportedly intends to go forward with its original plan to move the US embassy to Jerusalem.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

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