Palestinian FM: US Bias toward Israel Proves Palestinian Stand Is Correct

Rasa - Palestine Foreign and Expatriates Minister Riyad Malki said on Tuesday that the speech by US Vice President Mike Pence in the Israeli parliament, which was totally biased toward Israel, proves that the Palestinian decision to rule out a US role in the peace process is correct.

News ID: 435985

Date: 25 January 2018 - 01:51

RNA - Speaking to Voice of Palestine radio, Malki reiterated the Palestinian stand, which was also expressed during a meeting with European Union Foreign Ministers in Brussels on Monday, that the US mediation of the peace process or its monopoly over it are no longer acceptable and do not exist anymore, WAFA reported.

Maliki stressed President Mahmoud Abbas made this Palestinian position very clear in Brussels and the Foreign Ministers did not object, rather they understood it very well as appeared from their discussion over who else could mediate the negotiations.

The Foreign Minister added that President Abbas' meetings in Brussels were very successful and positive as the EU Foreign Ministers expressed their readiness to work with the Palestinian leadership in all fields.

He stated the outcome of these meetings will be followed on to speed up discussion within the EU and with other countries regarding recognition of the State of Palestine.

On options for starting a new political track, Malki said Abbas had stressed to the EU ministers that other alternatives to the US “monopoly” over the political process must be explored.

He explained that among these options are the addition of new members to the International Quartet, following up on the outcome of the Paris Peace Conference from last year, convening a special meeting to resume the peace process based on international resolutions, or seeking action through the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly to launch a political process that would lead to an agreement in line with the international resolutions and terms of reference within a specific timeline.

Less than two months after Trump formally recognized the city as the capital of Israel, Pence said Monday the US Embassy in Israel will relocate to Jerusalem next year.

“In the weeks ahead, our administration will advance its plan to open the US embassy in Jerusalem – and that United States embassy will open before the end of next year,” he said in a speech to the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem.

“Jerusalem is Israel’s capital – and, as such, President Trump has directed the State Department to begin initial preparations to move our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,” he added, declining to give an exact date of when the embassy would open.

The US Vice President faced a popular backlash among Palestinians while addressing the Knesset during the last leg of his first Middle East tour, as the Arab lawmakers in Israel's parliament started to yell at Pence during his speech. The lawmakers were swiftly removed from the session, according to reports

Pence is the first senior official of the Trump administration to visit the Middle East since US declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, while the visit comes amid widespread anger in the Arab world over the decision by Washington.

Pence, who arrived in Cairo on Saturday to start his first Middle East tour, travels on Sunday to Jordan and to Israel later the same day. He is scheduled to address the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, on Monday.

His trip had originally been scheduled for December but was postponed because of the furor over the Jerusalem decision, which broke with decades of international diplomacy.

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