Scottish Greens call for Truss to rule out Jerusalem embassy move
The Scottish Greens have called for Liz Truss to rule out moving the UK embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. This follows reports that the new Prime Minister discussed such a move with her Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid at a meeting last week.
In August, Liz Truss told the Jewish Chronicle that if she was elected PM she would review the location of the British embassy.
When former US President, Donald Trump, moved the US embassy to Jerusalem it was met by fierce opposition and protests. 58 Palestinians were murdered by Israeli forces while protesting against the move in 2018, which occurred on the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of Palestinians known as the Nakba (Disaster).
Scottish Greens external affairs spokesperson, Ross Greer MSP, said:
Moving the British embassy to Jerusalem would be a totally reckless and irresponsible move. It would needlessly increase the likelihood of violence, exactly as was the case when Trump made the same dangerous move in 2018.”
“By even floating this idea Liz Truss is playing with fire. It would fuel extremism on both sides of the occupation, undermine decades of convention and would be regarded as a highly insulting move and an unambiguous rejection of Palestinaian nationhood.”
“It would also be seen as a clear statement of support for the increasingly extremist Israeli government and the brutal occupation and apartheid conditions that it has inflicted on Palestinians.”
“If Liz Truss wants to play any kind of positive role in forging peace in the region then she must reverse course and make clear that this downright stupid proposal will not be taken forward.”