DHAKA: The US has warned Palestinians against cancelling talks with Vice-President Mike Pence, after Washington recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital, reports BBC.

It would be "counterproductive" to scrap talks between Pence and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas planned later this month, the US said.

A senior Palestinian official earlier said Pence would not be welcome.

President Donald Trump's announcement on Jerusalem this week reversed decades of US policy on Jerusalem's status.

On Thursday (December 7), at least 31 Palestinians were wounded in clashes in the Gaza Strip and across the occupied West Bank. The White House said the vice-president planned to hold the meeting as planned, on the same day.

Pence "still intends to meet Abbas and Palestinian leaders and thinks any decision to pull out of the meeting would be counterproductive," a White House official said.

During his visit - scheduled for the second half of December - Pence will also visit Israel and Egypt.

Earlier in the day, Jibril Rajoub, a senior official in Abbas' Fatah party, said Pence was "not welcome" in the Palestinian territories.
Rajoub added that the meeting with the Palestinian leader would not take place.
Abbas, however, has not personally commented on the issue.

Earlier, Trump announced the move on Wednesday (December 6). The US president said: "I've judged this course of action to be in the best interests of the United States of America and the pursuit of peace between Israel and the Palestinians."

BDST: 1300 HRS, DEC 8, 2017
SI