APU condemns US' removal of Palestinian Territories from website

AMMAN — The Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (APU) on Thursday condemned the US State Department's removal of the Palestinian Territories from its website.

The US State Department's step towards dropping Palestinian Territories from its list of countries and areas in the Middle East, establishes the US administration's bias towards the occupation and giving up its role as a peace mediator, President of the APU Atef Tarawneh said in a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

This step, which constitutes a “clear violation” of international law and international legitimacy resolutions, is a green light for the occupation forces to carry out more displacements, demolition operations and erasing of Palestinian history, especially in terms of Jerusalem and its surroundings, Tarawneh added.

The Palestinian state is recognised by 140 states, he said, highlighting its membership in more than 150 international organisations in addition to the bilateral agreements with most countries of the world. These facts cannot be changed or denied, he said. 

Tarawneh, who is also the Lower House speaker, added that the deletion targets the Palestinians’ rights to statehood, all final-status issues and the return of refugees.

Blasting the deletion and biased American decisions, the statement reaffirmed that Palestinian's rights are protected by hundreds of resolutions made by the UN General Assembly, the UN Security Council and international institutions.   

Reiterating the centrality of the Palestinian cause and Jerusalem for Arabs and Muslims, Tarawneh expressed the APU's full support to Palestinian territories and people.

He also called on the UN Security Council, with its primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as the implementation of international legitimacy resolutions, to fulfill its responsibility through taking a decisive stance that rejects the decision which would ignite the region resulting in insecurity and instability.