Palestinians recall envoy to US over Jerusalem move

The Palestinian envoy to the United States has been recalled for consultations in the wake of US president Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Foreign minister Riad Al Malki said yesterday that discussions would take place “to set the decisions needed by the Palestinian leadership in the coming period regarding our relations with the US”.

He said the envoy, Husam Zomlot, is expected to return to “normal work” after the talks.

Mr Trump’s announcement early last month regarding the disputed city enraged the Palestinians and triggered weeks of unrest in the West Bank and Gaza. Since then 13 Palestinians have been killed, most of them in clashes with Israeli forces.

The recall backs earlier expressions of Palestinian anger, including Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas’s refusal to meet US vice president Mike Pence on a visit to the region that had been planned for December but later cancelled.

Mr Abbas has also said he would accept no further role for the US in the Middle East peace process.

Yesterday, while marking the 53rd anniversary of his Fatah movement, Mr Abbas called Jerusalem “the eternal capital of the Palestinian people”.

Mr Trump’s decision, which overturned decades of US policy, was overwhelmingly rejected in a UN General Assembly vote on December 21.