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Palestine recalls four ambassadors after Jerusalem embassy move celebrations

Palestine recalls four ambassadors from Europe after Jerusalem embassy move celebrations
MENA
2 min read
The Palestinian foreign ministry has recalled its ambassadors from four European countries that had ignored EU protocol and celebrated the US embassy move in Jerusalem.
Trump's embassy move sparked outrage worldwide [Getty]

Palestine has recalled its ambassadors to four European countries after their participation in a party celebrating the opening of the new US embassy in Jerusalem.

The Palestinian foreign ministry said on Wednesday that its ambassadors to Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria were being called home for consultations.

The four European countries criticised by the Palestinians after they broke with EU policy on the Jerusalem move and attended the controversial celebration.

The Ramallah government said it considers the participation a "grave violation of international law."

This comes after Palestine recalled its envoy to Washington to protest against the decision of President Donald Trump to move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the contested city of Jerusalem.

Foreign Minister Riad Malki said President Mahmoud Abbas instructed Husam Zomlot to return to Ramallah from Washington.

"When they (the US) opened their embassy in Jerusalem there was a need for a decision from our side and this was our decision," Malki said.

The US relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on Monday, with the inauguration on Monday, causing outrage across the world.

Moving the embassy to Jerusalem contravenes decades of US policy that the status of the city be decided in future negotiations between Palestine and Israel.

Most world leaders criticised Trump's decision, but it was welcomed and lobbied for by Israel's right-wing Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.