Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad al-Malki strongly condemned on Thursday the recent US’ decision to close the US consulate in East Jerusalem, which mainly serves Palestinians, and merge it with the US embassy in the city.

“Closing of the US Consulate General in Jerusalem, which has operated independently since in 1844, and turning it into a unit in the illegally placed American Embassy in Jerusalem reflects the US administration's determination to entrench its illegal embassy move and force its functions on the Palestinian side,” he said in a press release.

Al-Malki stressed that decision clearly “proves that the US administration has adopted the agenda of the far-right Israeli settler movement, treating the entire area of historic Palestine as one political unit under Israeli control.”

“It is an endorsement of the colonial, apartheid-like reality that Israel has imposed on the occupied territory of the State of Palestine; a reality the Israeli government has repeatedly affirmed it has no intention of changing or reversing,” he continued.

“It flies in the face of international law and norms and shuts down diplomatic channels with the Palestinian leadership.”

The foreign minister described the US policy towards Palestine as a reflection of the “gratuitous animosity and disrespect to the basic rights and dignity of the Palestinian people… It is counterproductive and only serves to disqualify this American Administration from any role in the political process.”

“The State of Palestine is a positive and constructive player at the international stage. We build our relations with other states on mutual respect and shared values.”

He concluded, “The Palestinian people are neither subservient in their relations with others nor willing to compromise their national rights in exchange for relations with any actor. The US administration had a choice to build constructive relations with the Palestinian people and leadership. Instead, it chose bullying and arrogance. It chose irrelevance."