Pars Today

Palestine Authority Chief Mahmoud Abbas says holy city of Jerusalem al-Quds is a gate to either peace or war, saying it is up to the United States to decide which path to choose.

Addressing al-Azhar International Conference on Jerusalem al-Quds in Cairo on Wednesday, Abbas denounced US President Donald Trump’s recent decision to recognize the city as Israel’s “capital” as “sinful.”

Washington, he noted, disqualified itself as a broker in the long-stalled negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinian aimed at resolving the decades-long conflict between the two sides.

In December 2017, Trump said Washington was recognizing Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel and planning to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city.

The announcement drew widespread condemnations and protests against the US and Israel.

Abbas said the US has defied international law and resolutions to declare a city it deems itself occupied as the “capital” of (the usurper regime of) Israel.

He also stressed that the Palestinians would file a lawsuit with the International Criminal Court and “will continue to peacefully pursue our demands until we win back our rights.”

Since 1977, the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council have approved 750 and 86 resolutions, respectively, over Palestine, but none of the measures have been implemented, the Palestinian Authority Chief pointed out.

The United Nations General Assembly voted on December 21, 2017 by a resounding majority to reject Trump’s Jerusalem al-Quds move.

The criminal regime of Israel lays claim to the whole Jerusalem al-Quds, but the international community views the ancient city’s eastern sector as occupied land and Palestinians consider it as the capital of their future state.

EA