Shops in Ramallah remained closed on Tuesday as Palestine observed a general strike to protest a visit by US Vice President Mike Pence to Jerusalem‘s Old City. (WAFA photos/ Baha Nasr) 

RAMALLAH, January 23, 2018 (WAFA) – A general strike was observed throughout Palestine on Tuesday in protest against a visit by United States Vice President Mike Pence to the old city of Jerusalem and US recognition of the holy city as capital of Israel.

Shops, banks, schools, government offices and businesses were shut down heeding the call by the political forces for the strike. Public transportation has also joined the strike. Excluded from the strike were hospitals and clinics and some educational facilities.

Pence, a pro-Israel evangelical Christian who pushed for recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and is a strong advocate of moving the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem,  is expected to visit Al-Buraq Wall, one of the walls of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City, on Tuesday provoking strong Palestinian protest.

Israel refers to the wall as the Western Wall and says it is revered to Jews.

M.K.