Abbas: Possible Transfer of US Embassy to Jerusalem Will Harm Peace Process

The President of the Palestinian Authority, who is visiting the Vatican for the opening of the Palestinian embassy, stated that the potential transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem, promised by Donald Trump, would harm the prospects for peace in the Middle East. Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday after meeting with Pope Francis that regarding Trump's promise to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, "We are waiting to see what happens, [but] if this happens, it will not help peace." He also expressed hope that the promise to move the US embassy to Jerusalem would not materialize. Since the establishment of the Israeli state, the US embassy has always been located in Tel Aviv, but Donald Trump, who will take power in the US in less than a week, referred to Jerusalem as the "eternal capital of the Jewish nation" during his election campaign and promised to move the US embassy there if he won. Additionally, ten days ago, three Republican senators introduced a plan aimed at implementing the law recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and transferring the US embassy to the city. The proposal was presented by Senators Ted Cruz of Texas, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Dean Heller of Nevada. The law regarding the transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem was passed by Congress 22 years ago, and during this time, many Democratic and Republican presidents have promised to move the embassy to Jerusalem during their election campaigns, although after taking office, they have refrained from fulfilling this promise due to the situation in the Middle East and the international community. Palestine has also called for Vladimir Putin to prevent the implementation of Trump's decision regarding the transfer of the US embassy in Israel, and on Saturday, Saeb Erekat, Secretary-General of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), reported that Abbas's request to Putin was personally delivered to the Russian Foreign Minister during his recent visit to Moscow. Abbas also stated in an interview with the French newspaper Figaro that the transfer of the US embassy to Jerusalem would not only undermine the legitimacy of the US's role in resolving this conflict but would also destroy the two-state solution. The President of the Palestinian Authority revealed that he warned the US President-elect in a letter about the transfer of the capital to Jerusalem. Abbas also noted that the Palestinians would consult with Arab governments on how to respond to such an action. He specified that suspending recognition of Israel could be one of the options, although he hopes it does not come to that and that they can cooperate with the future US government. Palestinians consider East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, but Tel Aviv claims the entire city as the historical capital of Israel. The Vatican, which witnessed the opening of the Palestinian embassy on Saturday, has recognized the Palestinian state for years but officially signed a treaty with Palestine in 2015. The Vatican's embassy in Israel is located in the port of Jaffa near Tel Aviv, and the Vatican supports the idea of a "two-state" solution to resolve the Middle East crisis.