Palestine has filed an official complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against the United States’ relocation of its embassy from Tel Aviv to Occupied Jerusalem saying the US move must be reversed as it violates the international law.
In a statement issued on Friday the ICJ said Palestine contends the embassy’s relocation is in breach of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
In its application Palestine argued the treaty dictates embassies must be established on the territory of the receiving state and that the “special status of Jerusalem” means that the US violated its international obligations when it moved its embassy.
According to the statement Palestine asked the court to declare the move illegal and order the US to withdraw the embassy from Jerusalem.
In this regard Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Malki said the complaint “comes in line with the policy of the State of Palestine which aims to preserve the character of the holy city of Jerusalem with its unique spiritual religious and cultural dimensions.”
“We defend our rights and our people without hesitation and reject all forms of political and financial extortion” he was quoted as saying by Palestinian news agency WAFA.
