Abbas Meets Jordanian King to Discuss Reports of U.S. Relocating Embassy

JERUSALEM – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met on Sunday with Jordan’s King Abdullah (pictured), with the U.S.’s reported plan to possibly move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem topping the agenda.

The meeting on Sunday comes after weeks during which the PA made veiled and direct threats of violence should the US continue with the planned move.

Meanwhile the White House on Sunday threw cold water on the idea of relocation, saying that it was only in the first stages of planning when the embassy would actually be moved.

On Monday, Fatah central committee member Jibril Rajoub, one of the most senior Palestinian officials, said that the US moving the embassy would amount to “declaring war against Muslims.”

His comments to the Hebrew-language news website Walla repeat comments made earlier this month and last month, ever since the PA realized that US President Donald Trump’s pledge to move the embassy was in earnest.

“It is inconceivable that the US will give the Jews the keys to the places holy to Christians and Muslims in Jerusalem,” Rajoub said. “If someone thinks this will have no implications they are making a dire mistake. This is a dangerous step, which will not bring stability. It is a step contradicting UN resolutions and US Policy since 1967. We are not preparing to raise a white flag – not to Netanyahu and not to Trump.”

The contents of the Abbas-Abdullah meeting on Sunday were not made public, but it is likely they were discussing the possible ramifications of an embassy move.

Jordan has also warned against moving the embassy. The kingdom’s Minister of Information Muhammad Momani told the Associated Press in early January that moving the embassy is a “red line” for Jordan that would “inflame the Islamic and Arab streets” and serve as a “gift to extremists.”

Abbas said before leaving for Jordan that relocating the US embassy would “destroy the peace process.”

Other Palestinian officials have described the move as an affront to the entire Muslim world and implied that the Palestinians would resort to violence if the US goes ahead with it.