Parliamentarians against relocating US embassy to Jerusalem

CAIRO – 15 May 2017: A number of Egypt’s parliamentarians warned of the repercussions of removing the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv and relocating it to Jerusalem ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

“Relocating the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem obstructs the Arab efforts for the two-state solution with establishing a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as the capital”, said a functionary of the Defense, National Security and Mobilization Committee of the House of Representatives, Yehia Kodwany.

“Israel exploits the apathy of Arab countries toward the Palestinian issue in order to fulfill the Israeli dream of extending settlement on Palestinian lands, violating international law and the rights of Palestinians”, said Gamal Mahfuz, member of the Arab Affairs Committee in Parliament on Sunday.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, said on Wednesday that the U.S. President is considering the American embassy relocation from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. The embassy is due to be relocated by June 1, unless Trump decides to extend the waiver of relocation which will expire by the end of May.