RAMALLAH: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas denounced US President DonaldTrump´s Middle East peace efforts as the “slap of the century” on Sundayafter the White House recognised Jerusalem as Israel´s capital.

Abbas also said Israel had “ended” the landmark Oslo peace accords of the1990s with its actions, while branding the US ambassadors to the UN and toIsrael, Nikki Haley and David Friedman, a “disgrace”.

“We said ´no´ to Trump, ´we will not accept your project´,” Abbas said atthe start of a key meeting of Palestinian leaders on how to face Trump´sdeclaration.

“The deal of the century is the slap of the century and we will not acceptit,” he added, referring to Trump´s pledge to reach the “ultimate deal” –Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Abbas made his comments at the opening ceremony of the meeting taking placeon Sunday and Monday in a marathon speech that lasted some two hours.

The meeting was called in the wake of Trump´s December 6 declaration onJerusalem that deeply angered the Palestinians.

Abbas had previously said the United States could no longer play any rolein the Middle East peace process after Trump´s move.

On Sunday, he said the Palestinians were calling for an internationally ledprocess in which the United States was not the mediator.

He said the Ramallah meeting must take decisions on how to move forward.

“I am saying that Oslo, there is no Oslo,” Abbas said, referring to theagreements that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority andenvisioned a final resolution to the conflict.

“Israel ended Oslo.”