Abbas urges Latin America not to follow US example on embassy
During meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Palestinian leader says he hopes 'some countries across Latin America won't go moving their embassies to Jerusalem, because that is against international law.'
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged Latin American countries Monday not to emulate the controversial US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem.
The United States is pushing ahead with plans to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv on May 14, a move that has sparked major protests by Palestinians, who consider east Jerusalem the capital of their future state.
"We hope that some countries across Latin America won't go moving their embassies to Jerusalem, because that is against international law," Abbas said during a meeting with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas.
The Palestinian leader thanked ally Maduro for rejecting Washington's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocate its embassy, reversing decades of US policy in the region.
Guatemala has already announced it will relocate its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, two days after the United States shifts its mission, while Paraguay's President Horacio Cartes announced plans to visit Israel on May 21 or 22 to inaugurate his country's new embassy in Jerusalem.
While US President Donald Trump himself won't attend the embassy opening next Monday, he be represented by his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kusher.
The embassy opening ceremony will be attended by an American delegation led by Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin. It will also include Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan, Trump's envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt, American Ambassador David Friedman, Florida Governor Rick Scott, and Senator Lindsey Graham.
They will be joined by a delegation of eight Congressmen, headed by Rep. Joe Wilson, and a large delegation of American Jewish community leaders, Christian community leaders, former US ambassadors to Israel, and others.
Some 1,000 people are expected to attend the embassy inauguration ceremony, with the American delegation alone being 300 people.
Among the Israeli officials in attendance will be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, government ministers, Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, State Comptroller Yosef Shapira, Israel's Chief Rabbis David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef, the heads of the Knesset's committees and the chairman of the Opposition, Isaac Herzog. Members of Knesset were not invited to attend.
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