Abu Mazen said that “the decision will lead to endless wars”. (We had those before so what exactly changed?) “The American Government with its decision on Jerusalem chose to breach all international decisions and ignore the international consensus. These ugly decisions destroy all efforts promoting the peace process; we’ve warned about this a long time.”
A Senior Islamic Jihad member said: “This decision is a declaration of war not just on the Palestinians but on the entire Arab and Muslim Nations. This is a knockout punch or a smack in the face.”
Saeb Erekat, Chief PA negotiator, said “Trump destroyed any possibility of a two-state solution and “totally contradicted signed PA-Israel agreements… Trump tonight disqualified the United States of America to play any role in any peace process.”
Lebanese President Mishaal Aoun said “Trump’s declaration threatens the peace process and the stability of the whole region.”
Jordan’s spokesman said “we oppose Trump’s decision which will increase tensions and perpetuate the occupation”.
The Arab Israeli Knesset members who draw their salary from Israel don’t hesitate to preach for its destruction and were quite vocal against Trump’s declaration. Here are some quotes:
MK Ayman Ouda: “The hater of man is not interested in the fate of Israel and definitely not of the Palestinians, and his speech was a combination of ignorance and haughtiness… Trump threw a match on the Middle East and the 2 nations will pay the price. The US under Trump officially announced they are siding with the occupiers and therefore they cannot sponsor future talks between the Palestinians and Israelis.” (I think the ‘occupiers’ should relieve him of his duties and take someone who appreciates the democracy that was open enough to appoint him to a high ranking government job of MK.)
Here’s another person who should lose his job and be tried for incitement: MK Jamal Zachlaka who virulently posted calling for “battle and protests on the Arab street.” “Jerusalem is more important to us than Washington is to the Americans” he wrote and added, “Trump’s words about Jerusalem’s status and his intentions to move the embassy there from Tel Aviv are a declaration of war on the Palestinian ‘nation’ and Arabs in general.”
Australian Foreign Secretary Julie Bishop clarified that her country won’t join the US in moving its embassy to Jerusalem. “We won’t take steps to move our embassy in Israel; it will continue to provide diplomatic assistance in Tel Aviv. She added that Australia is committed to a 2 state solution.
UN Secretary Antonio Guterres said” “there’s no escape from the 2 state solution and there’s no ‘plan b’. I will do all I can to bring both sides back to the negotiation table.”
UK Prime Minister Theresa May said Trump’s declaration was “unhelpful for peace prospects in the region”. She asked Trump to “bring forward detailed proposals for an Israel-Palestinian settlement”.
