Iran Press/Middle East: Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday that the US move to recognise the city of al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the capital of Israel has pushed officials in Ramallah to reject its proposed peace plan, National reported.
Washington has pretended to solve the decades-long conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis but the plan is yet to be made public.
Abbas reiterated his position that Washington is no longer capable of leading neutral peace negotiations, adding that the US encourages Israel to do whatever it likes and to act above the law.
"By recognising the city of al-Quds as the capital of Israel the US government has proved that it is not neutral, which led us to reject its peace plan," Abbas said during a two day visit to Baghdad.
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Al-Quds is one of the major issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinians want eastern al-Quds as the capital of an independent Palestinian state, while Israel claims the whole city as its own.
Doubts have mounted over whether Donald Trump can secure a peace deal especially after recognising the city of Al-Quds as Israel’s capital and ordering the relocation of US embassy there.
Trump’s move outraged the Palestinians, who have since boycotted Washington’s peace efforts, led by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
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The US also cut off aid to the Palestinians and to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, and has ordered the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) office in Washington shut, further angering Palestinian and Arab leaders.
"I briefed the Iraqi prime minister on the latest political developments in Palestine, particularly the Israeli violations against al-Quds and its Muslim and Christian holy sites, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque," Abbas said.
For his part, Iraqi prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi reiterated Iraq’s support for Palestinian statehood. 104/211/209
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