Relocation of US’ Israel embassy to Jerusalem fuels regional tension
Relocation of the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem will fuel regional tensions and have consequences, according to Jordanian analysts and officials.
Jordan’s Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani said that the act of moving the US embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing the city as the capital of Israel is a clear violation of UN resolutions. “Jordan rejects the US decision that lacks legal grounds, and Jordan, like the rest of the world, rejects the US move,” said the minister in a statement to the press on Monday.
East Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, said the minister, stressing the kingdom’s custodianship of the city.
The minister added that Jordan, which signed a peace deal with Israel in 1994, will make efforts to relaunch peace talks between the Palestinians and the Israelis and will continue to work with the international community to protect Jerusalem and the holy sites.
The minister warned of serious consequence of provocations in Jerusalem.
In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, retired major general and strategic analyst Adeeb Sarayreh said the US move will worsen the situation.
“This US move only serves extremism and violence in the Middle East,” Sarayreh said, adding that there is a need for unified efforts to face the US move.
“The Palestinian issue is the key issue in the Middle East and will remain as such... Any provocations will only worsen the situation,” he said. Political analyst Raed Omari agreed. “I believe a new intifada is likely to occur in the West Bank and Gaza Strip after the invalid US move,” Omari told Xinhua. “The decision by US President Donald Trump is reckless and is likely to fuel more tension... Jordan is involved as the Palestinian issue directly affects the kingdom,” said Omari.
He added that the US decision, which was rejected by an overwhelming majority of countries, violates UN resolutions and undermines peace efforts.
“The US decision preempts any future peace talks and is a key obstacle to making peace,” said Omari.
In December, the UN General Assembly voted 128-9 with 35 abstentions to adopt a resolution on the status of Jerusalem, which shows that few countries favor the US decision to recognize the holy city as the Israeli capital and mirrors the isolation of the US on the issue. The resolution, tabled by Turkey and Yemen in a rare emergency special session at the UN, affirmed that the US decision has “no legal effect, is null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council.”
It also called upon all UN member states to “refrain from the establishment of diplomatic missions in the Holy City of Jerusalem.”
The nine countries that voted against the text were Guatemala, Honduras, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Togo, as well as the US and Israel.