Abbas spokesman: Jerusalem law equal to ‘declaration of war’ on Palestinians

Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues for both Palestinians and Israelis.

By ADAM RASGON
Updated: JANUARY 3, 2018 01:45
An Israeli flag is seen near the Dome of the Rock, located in Jerusalem's Old City (photo credit: AMMAR AWAD / REUTERS)
An Israeli flag is seen near the Dome of the Rock, located in Jerusalem's Old City
(photo credit: AMMAR AWAD / REUTERS)
The Knesset’s passage of a law that requires two-thirds of its members to approve any future transfer of land in Jerusalem to a foreign entity is “equivalent to a declaration of war on the Palestinian people,” Nabil Abu Rudeinah, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s spokesman, said on Tuesday.
The law passed late Monday night, with 62 MKs voting in favor and 52 against. While many backers hope it will make it more difficult to divide Jerusalem in any future peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, only a simple majority of 61 votes is needed to amend the law.
Israel raises threshold to cede parts of Jerusalem in Knesset vote, January 2, 2017 (Reuters)
“The Israeli Knesset’s vote on the united Jerusalem law is equivalent to a declaration of war on the Palestinian people and its political and religious identity,” Abu Rudeinah said in a statement published on the official PA news agency Wafa. “This vote clearly indicates that the Israeli side has officially declared the end of what is called the political process and has begun imposing a policy of dictates.”
While Israel considers all of Jerusalem its capital, the Palestinians hope that east Jerusalem will become the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Abu Rudeinah also asserted, “There is no legitimacy to the Israeli Knesset’s decisions.
We will not allow under any circumstance for such dangerous projects for the region and the world’s future to come to pass.”
Jerusalem – where a number of Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites are located – is one of the most sensitive issues for both Palestinians and Israelis. In some cases, multiple religions revere the same site, such as the Temple Mount, which is considered the holiest site in Judaism and the third-holiest in Islam.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum also blasted the Knesset for approving the law, calling it “a continuation of a serious of assaults on the holy city, a targeting of the Palestinian presence and a falsification of history.”
“In light of these dangerous developments, it is necessary for President Abbas to declare the end of Oslo and security coordination with the occupation and rescind the [PLO’s] recognition of the Israeli entity,” he said.
According to Palestinian officials, the Palestine Liberation Organization is slated to convene one of its top bodies, the Palestinian Central Council, on January 14, to discuss the future of Israeli-Palestinian ties and other issues.