Palestinians knock at UN’s door, push for Jerusalem resolution

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United Nations, United States, Dec. 14: Palestinian diplomats want the UN Security Council to vote on a draft resolution rejecting President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, even though the measure would almost certainly face a US veto, diplomats said on Wednesday.

Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour said that the text would demand that the United States scrap the decision on Jerusalem, but other diplomats suggested the wording would not be so strong. Egypt was expected to circulate a draft resolution to council members, possibly as early as this week, according to senior council diplomats.

Mr Mansour said on Tuesday that he was working on a draft text that would “reaffirm the positions of the Security Council and ask the Americans to rescind.”

The United States found itself isolated at the Security Council last week when all 14 other members including allies Britain, France and Italy condemned the decision, which broke with international consensus.

The status of Jerusalem, a city holy to Christians, Jews and Muslims, is perhaps the most sensitive issue in the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.

Israel sees the entire city as its undivided capital, while the Palestinians want the eastern sector, which Israel seized in the 1967 war and later annexed, as the capital of their future state.

Several UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory.