</p> <p>By Omer Faruk Yildiz</p> <p>KUALA LUMPUR (AA) – Malaysia on Monday strongly condemned the U.S. decision to merge its consulate in Jerusalem with its embassy.</p> <p>"This calls into question not only US’ credibility as the mediator in the Palestine-Israel conflict but also its ultimate objective in the Middle East,” the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement that termed the move as the latest “unfortunate” step taken against Palestine and its people.</p> <p>The U.S. announced Sunday it was shuttering its consulate in Jerusalem and merging it with its embassy, effectively demoting the status of its main diplomatic mission to the Palestinians.</p> <p>The move will take effect Monday, ending the consulate's 175-year history and handing responsibilities for the U.S.'s relations with the Palestinians to Washington’s Israel Ambassador David Friedman. </p> <p>Malaysia said the decision was a “smokescreen” to disguise Washington’s efforts to open an embassy in Jerusalem.</p> <p>The move would “sound the death knell” for the two-state solution which is supported by the vast majority of the international community, the ministry said.</p> <p>It reiterated support for the two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders and said it would continue to oppose any action detrimental to peace efforts.</p> <p>U.S. President Donald Trump sparked an international outcry in 2017 by announcing plans to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and recognize the city as Israel’s capital.</p> <p>Since the move last May, Palestinian leadership in Ramallah has rejected any mediating role by the U.S. in the moribund Middle East peace process.</p> <p>International law continues to view East Jerusalem, along with the entire West Bank, as "occupied territory" and considers all Jewish settlement construction there to be illegal.
