No Jerusalem embassy decision now

KUALA LUMPUR: The decision on whether Malaysia should place its embassy in Jerusalem will be made only after the finalisation of the two-state solution for the Palestine-Israel issue, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday.

Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican said this was in line with the country’s stance which abided by the United Nations (UN) charter in respecting the disputed status of Jerusalem.

He said any move to place an embassy in Jerusalem would send out the wrong signal in acknowledging the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

“The US’ decision is condemned by the global community. We do not want to make the same move. On the contrary, the best move would be to make way for talks via the Palestine-Israel two-state solution.”

He was answering a question from Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar (PKR-Tumpat) as to whether the government would set up an embassy in Jerusalem to strengthen its support for Palestine.