The Palestinian Authority’s (PA) “foreign ministry” on Wednesday blasted the US administration's intention to allow US citizens born in Jerusalem to list “Jerusalem, Israel” on their US passports.
The ministry said, according to the Xinhua news agency, that it considered the step "an emphasis by the administration of President Donald Trump to antagonize the Palestinian people and undermine any chance for peace on the basis of a two-state solution."
"Just thinking in this direction is a violation of international law and international legitimacy decisions," it added.
The statement follows a comment by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who said on Tuesday that the Trump administration is considering the move to allow US citizens born in Jerusalem to list “Jerusalem, Israel” on their passports.
While the Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, State Department policy still does not allow for the indication of Jerusalem as being a part of Israel on passports of US citizens.
The PA, which views Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, has been at odds with the Trump administration and has boycotted it ever since it recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in late 2017 and relocated the US embassy to the city.
A recent report in Israel indicated that PA officials are re-thinking their boycott of the US administration.
PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas later made clear that relations with the current US administration will not resume unless Trump "recognizes the source of authority for the peace process and UN resolutions and accepts the two-state solution."