LIZ Truss must rule out moving the UK embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the Scottish Greens have insisted, after a similar move by Donald Trump led to fierce protests and violence four years ago.
The Prime Minister reportedly discussed the idea with her Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid at a meeting last week, but the Greens have said it would be "reckless and irresponsible".
The party have also said it would show Truss supports the extremist Israeli government.
In August, Truss told the Jewish Chronicle that if she was elected she would review the location of the British embassy.
When former US president Trump controversially moved the American embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, almost 60 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, which occurred on the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the ethnic cleansing and forced displacement of Palestinians known as the Nakba (Disaster).
Ross Greer, the Greens spokesperson for external affairs, 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 Palestinian 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.”
Both Israelis and Palestinians claim Jerusalem as their capital.
Israel controls the entire city and maintains its primary governmental institutions there, while the Palestinian National Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization ultimately foresee it as the seat of power for the State of Palestine.
