Don't abandon talks, US warns Palestinians as Jerusalem tensions soar

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David Gardner8 December 2017

Tensions escalated in the Middle East today as America warned Palestinians not to abandon talks and protests against President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital grew.

In a terse statement, the White House urged Palestinian leaders not to cancel talks with Vice President Mike Pence in protest over Mr Trump’s controversial move.

As the region braced for “Day of Rage” clashes, the Trump administration hit back at claims by a senior Palestinian official Jibril Rajoub that Mr Pence would not be welcome.

A White House official responded by saying Mr Pence still intends to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas later this month and thinks any decision to pull out of the meeting would be “counterproductive”.

Israeli troops clash with Palestinian demonstrators in Jerusalem's West Bank
AFP/Getty Images

There were demonstrations in solidarity of Palestinians across the Middle East and many Muslim nations.

In Malaysia, more than 1,000 Muslims protested outside the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Donald Trump speaks at the White House
AP

In Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, more than 300 protesters shouted “Go to hell Israel!” and called on Mr Trump to stop “blind support” for the Jewish state.

At least 50 Palestinians were wounded in the Gaza Strip and across the occupied West Bank yesterday in clashes triggered by Mr Trump’s dramatic policy shift.

During his visit, scheduled for the second half of December, Mr Pence will also travel to Israel and Egypt.

Mr Abbas has not commented on the issue.

Masked demonstrators clash with troops
AFP/Getty Images

Protests against the US by Palestinians and Israeli Arabs were expected to grow today after Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh called for a “day of rage” and “the beginning of a major effort to rise up”.

“Just as we liberated Gaza, we will be able to free Jerusalem and the West Bank by the way of this popular struggle,” he said in a televised speech from the Gaza Strip.

Mr Trump announced the move on Wednesday, saying: “I’ve judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians.”

He said he was directing the US state department to begin preparations to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

At a White House Hanukkah celebration last night, the president addressed the crowd, saying there was “a lot of very happy people in the room”, before adding the word “Jerusalem”.’

The development was met with disbelief across the Arab world. In the West Bank yesterday, thousands of Palestinians took to the streets hurling stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli troops and burning tires.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, 50 Palestinians were wounded, including four by live fire and 13 by rubber bullets.

There were as 30 riots across the West Bank, with the largest being in Kalandiya between Jerusalem and Ramallah, at Rachel’s Tomb on the northern outskirts of Bethlehem, and in the centre of Ramallah.

In the capital, hundreds of east Jerusalem residents protested at the Damascus Gate plaza.

The crowd chanted: “Jerusalem is Arab and Palestinian” and “Trump, you will see – Palestine will be free.”

Protesters told the Jerusalem Post that the demonstrations were ‘only a promo ahead of Friday,’.

Extra patrols and reinforcements were deployed as Muslims came to pray in the Old City. However a police spokesman said they were not planning to restrict entrance.

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