Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s advisor on diplomatic affairs, Majdi Khaldi, said that the PA chairman would not meet with US Vice President Mike Pence, who will visit the region later this month. Khaldi further asserted that the issue is far bigger than a meeting because Washington “has crossed all red lines with its latest decisions over Jerusalem.” The statements by Abbas’ advisor came following a meeting of the Arab League’s Foreign Ministers, during which they fiercely condemned President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem and called upon the United States to retract the American president’s announcement. The Arab League foreign ministers announced at the end of their emergency meeting that Trump’s announcement was a serious violation of international law and that it had no legal backing. In addition to the fierce condemnation, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil proposed that Arab states impose economic sanctions on the United States. He also leveled criticism at what he said was “the weakness of the Arabs,” and warned that Jerusalem was the honor of the Arab peoples. The Lebanese top diplomat concluded his statement by declaring, “revolution or death.”
