ABU DHABI 7 December 2017: The United States under the presidency of Donald Trump has officially recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, reports said.
Israel government itself continues to administer from the existing capital Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, the UAE has warned of grave consequences of US recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel.
Even before the official US announcement, Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Jarman, Assistant Minister for Human Rights and International Law at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, expressed the UAE’s utmost and deep concern regarding media reports on the intention of the United States Administration to recognise Jerusalem as a capital of Israel, and to transfer its embassy to the city.
He explained that taking this step is a major breach of the principle of not influencing the negotiations to find a solution to the Palestinian issue, and goes against international resolutions that asserted the Palestinian people’s historic and established rights to Jerusalem, which are permanently binding and cannot be changed by a fait accompli, said Wam.
Al Jarman had added that this step, if taken, will represent a fundamental change and unjustified bias in the neutral stance of the US, at the time when the world is looking forward to the US to help realise the aspirations of the peace process.
He also warned that this action will have grave consequences, and will further complicate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and obstruct the current efforts to revive the peace process. It could also provoke the feelings of Muslims around the world, in light of Jerusalem’s pivotal stature and importance to Islam, he added.
Al Jarman highlighted the UAE’s firm stance on Jerusalem and its total and constant support for the Palestinian people to attain their legitimate rights and establish their Palestinian state and its capital in East Jerusalem.
Trump plan on Jerusalem ends peace process: Palestine President
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that the US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the transfer of the US embassy to it, would end the peace process.
This came in an urgent message from the Palestinian President to the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, demanding that the Security Council to intervene to stop the US move.
In his message, President Abbas said that these steps would lead to a fundamental change in the US position towards Palestine, and will sabotage the efforts to revive the peace process significantly. He pointed out that the US President’s move violates existing agreements and international resolutions on this issue causing negative sentiments among Arabs, Muslims and Christians, and will lead to ending the peace process.
President Abbas considered the move as a reward for Israel, as it continues its policy of building settlements, and its attempts to alter the geographic and demographic character of Jerusalem.