Secretary General of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat said that Washington’s plans to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem next May 14, coinciding with the Nakba anniversary, is “a very provocative step,” adding that the US administration has become “part of the conflict.” Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday, Erekat said that choosing the “anniversary of the ongoing Nakba of the Palestinian people, would greatly provoke the sentiments of all Arabs and Muslims and not only the Palestinians.” He said that the US decision to remove the US embassy to Jerusalem next May came few days after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had presented his peace plan at the Security Council. Erekat said that Washington’s move assert the rightness of the Palestinian decision to end the United States traditional role as the main mediator between Israel and Palestine. “Washington is now practically becoming part of the conflict here,” the PLO official said. On Friday, the State Department said: “We are planning to open the new US Embassy to Israel in Jerusalem in May. The Embassy opening will coincide with Israel’s 70th anniversary.” According to AFP, the decision sparked a furious reaction from Palestinians, who object to the US recognition of the disputed city as Israels capital and call May 14, Nakba, their "day of catastrophe." Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the US decision is likely going to undermine the last chance of peace and coexistence between the Israelis and the Palestinians, decrying the step as “one of provocative and dangerous decisions taken by the US Administration since December.” Ankara expressed a similar position on Saturday. “Turkey will continue exerting efforts along with the overwhelming majority of the international community to protect the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights in response to the US’ decision, which is extremely worrying,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.