Politics
21:47, 09-Dec-2017
Palestinian FM: Palestinian president will not meet Pence
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not meet US Vice President Mike Pence during his scheduled visit to the region this month in response to US President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the Palestinian Foreign Minister said Saturday.
Riyad al-Maliki said Palestinians will be looking for a new peace talks broker instead of the US and would seek a UN Security Council resolution over Trump's decision.
"We will seek a new mediator from our Arab brothers and the international community," Maliki told reporters in Cairo before an Arab League meeting to discuss Trump's Jerusalem decision.
A general view of Jerusalem's Old City shows the Dome of the Rock in the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount. /Reuters Photo
A general view of Jerusalem's Old City shows the Dome of the Rock in the compound known to Muslims as Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as Temple Mount. /Reuters Photo
A Turkish presidential source said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron will work together to try to persuade the United States to reconsider the move.
Pence was scheduled to arrive in the Palestinian territories on December 19 to meet Abbas as part of a tour of several countries in the region.
A possible meeting with Pence has also been turned down by Egypt's Coptic Church, MENA state news agency reported.
The White House warned Friday against the cancellation of the meeting with Pence.
In response to the American warning, Majdi al-Khalidi, Abbas's presidential adviser for diplomatic affairs, said "no one threatens the Palestinian people and no one threatens the Palestinian leadership."
"The US won't be a sponsor for peace again, and it's not qualified to do so," al-Khalidi said, adding that "there are many measures that will be taken by the Palestinian leadership soon."
Al-Khalidi revealed that the next few days will witness great political mobility, meetings and contacts. President Abbas is determined to keep working until things are in the right direction.
The declaration of Trump last Wednesday to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to sign a decree to transfer the US embassy to the city was met with a large Palestinian, Arab and international rejection.
Source(s): Reuters
,Xinhua News Agency