CARACAS – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Latin American countries to refrain from moving their embassies in Israel to Jerusalem, as the United States, Paraguay and Guatemala will do this month.
“We hope that some countries in the Americas will not move their embassies to Jerusalem because it contradicts international legality,” Abbas said during a meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, at the presidential palace in Miraflores.
Maduro acknowledged Maduro’s “repudiation” of Washington’s decision to recognize “Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the transfer of its embassy.”
“We express our interest to maintain serious negotiations with Israel based on international legality (…). That Palestine be accepted as a full country of the United Nations, “he said.
Paraguay will move embassy to Jerusalem; President Cartes will be present
The United States embassy in Jerusalem will open on May 14 in the Holy City, a decision condemned by the international community. Trump announced on December 6 the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the transfer of the embassy that is currently in Tel Aviv.
The U.S. president, however, will not travel to the inauguration, the White House reported, announcing that Assistant Secretary of State John Sullivan will head the delegation.
Palestine’s Mahmoud Abbas begins Latin America trip from Venezuela; due in Chile, Cuba this week
The unilateral decision of Trump was celebrated by Israel but condemned by the Palestinians, who want East Jerusalem to be the capital of the State to which they aspire and who see in the decision of the U.S. president the denial of their claims.
Among other territories, Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967, the Palestinian part of the city, and annexed it. The international community considers this illegal annexation and consider East Jerusalem as an occupied territory.
