PA condemned Czech Republic’s decision to open diplomatic office in Jerusalem
The Palestinian Authority on Thursday summoned the Czech Republic’s top representative in Ramallah, Petr Stary, to ask about his country’s decision to open a diplomatic office in Jerusalem, calling this step as a “dangerous step.”
On Wednesday, Czech Republic announced it will establish a diplomatic office in Jerusalem.
“This is not about setting up a new embassy,” the Foreign Ministry in Prague declared. Rather, the move is intended to support the work of the country’s embassy in Tel Aviv, to “further strengthen Czech-Israeli relations” and to make Czech officials more accessible to citizens living in Jerusalem.
“Based on the instructions of [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas and the directives of Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad al-Maliki, Undersecretary of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Amal Jadou summoned the Czech ambassador accredited to the State of Palestine to inquire about the announcement of his country’s foreign ministry on the opening of a diplomatic office in Jerusalem that is affiliated with its embassy in Tel Aviv,” the PA said in a statement.
“Jaduo expressed the State of Palestine’s condemnation of this decision and said that such a move constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and goes against the unified EU position on the legal status of Jerusalem,” it added. “In addition, the decision is an act of aggression against the rights of the Palestinian people and their sovereignty over their land.”
Jadou called on the Czech Republic to reverse “this dangerous step because of its repercussions on stability in the region and the political efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.”
