World leaders reacted with
concern and anger to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as
Israel’s capital.
Israel itself was the only
country celebrating the announcement that its American ally would be moving its
embassy from Tel Aviv.
In his reaction, Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas said: “these reprehensible measures constitute a
deliberate undermining of all peace efforts.
Abbabas also said that the action
represents a declaration that the United States has withdrawn from playing the
role it has played in the past decades in sponsoring the peace process.”
Reacting, Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, said that Trump’s decision was an important step towards
peace.
“There is no peace that doesn’t
include Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel.
“I share President Trump’s
commitment to advancing peace between Israel and all of our neighbours,
including the Palestinians,” Netanyahu said.
A Saudi government spokesman
said: “the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hopes that the U.S.
administration will reverse this action, and support the international will to
enable the Palestinian people to regain their legitimate rights.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
while reacting said: “the government does not support this stance because the
status of Jerusalem is to be negotiated within the framework of a two-state
solution.”
Also, European Union foreign
policy chief Federica Mogherini said the aspirations of both parties must be
fulfilled and a way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of
Jerusalem as the future capital of both states.
British Prime Minister Theresa
May said: “we disagree with the U.S. decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem
and recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement.
“We believe it is unhelpful in
terms of prospects for peace in the region.”
In a statement, Egyptian Foreign
Ministry said: “such unilateral decisions violate international legitimacy
resolutions and will not change the legal status of the city of Jerusalem as
being under occupation.”
Also, President Joko Widodo of
Indonesia called on the U.S. to consider withdrawing the decision.
Widodo said: “such unilateral
recognition violates various resolutions of the UN Security Council of which
the U.S. is a permanent member.
“It could also shake global
stability.”
Lebanese President Michel Aoun
said: “[It is] dangerous and threatening the credibility of the United States
as a sponsor of the peace process in the region.”
In his reaction, President Bashar
al-Assad of Syria said: “the future of Jerusalem is not determined by a state
or a president, but by its history and the will and determination of the loyal
people to the Palestinian cause”
NAN reports that UN
Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that there was no alternative to
the two-state solution to the lingering conflict between Israel and
Palestinian.
The UN chief stressed that
Jerusalem was an issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations
between the parties.
“In this moment of great anxiety,
I want to make it clear: there is no alternative to the two-state solution.
“There is no ‘Plan B’, Guterres
said while speaking to the press at UN Headquarters in New York.
The UN chief stressed the need to
realise the vision of two states “living side-by-side in peace, security and
mutual recognition, with Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and Palestine, and
all final status issues resolved permanently through negotiations”.
According to him, it is only
through that realisation that the legitimate aspirations of both peoples would
be achieved.
“I understand the deep attachment
that Jerusalem holds in the hearts of so many people. It has been so for
centuries and it will always be,” he added.
He also noted that since he took
up his post as UN Secretary-General, he had consistently spoken out against any
unilateral measures that would jeopardise the prospect of peace for Israelis
and Palestinians.(dpa/NAN)
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Most of these leaders of nations are just wasting their time talking trash. There is no peace without Jerusalem being the Capital of Israel as it has always being time immemorial. Let's history judge them. Jerusalem is the land of Israel and would always be. Let's the whole world come against Israel, they will fail woefully.
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