Palestinians set for backing at UN today over Jerusalem
The Palestinians expect “overwhelming support” at the United Nations today as they push for a resolution against the move by US president Donald Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The 193-member General Assembly is expected to vote on a draft resolution in an emergency session, held at the request of Muslim and Arab states, calling for the US to withdraw its decision on Jerusalem’s status. Although the vote is non-binding, it carries political weight.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, said that Jerusalem was an issue “to be resolved through negotiations” between Israel and the Palestinians.
“The General Assembly will say, without the fear of the veto, that the international community is refusing to accept the unilateral position of the United States,” he said.
Mr Trump’s move this month triggered international outrage and protests across the world.
Israel seized control of the eastern part of the city in the 1967 Middle East war and considers all of Jerusalem as its undivided capital. The Palestinians want the east of the city as the capital of their future state.
Several UN resolutions call on Israel to withdraw from territory seized during the 1967 war.
No country has veto powers in the General Assembly, contrary to the UN Security Council where the US, Britain, China, France and Russia, can block any resolution.
The US vetoed the draft in the
15-member Security Council on Monday. All other 14 members voted in favour of the draft, a move US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley called “an insult” and “won’t be forgotten”.
On Tuesday, Ms Haley said that she would report back to Mr Trump with the names of those who support the draft resolution.
“The president will be watching this vote carefully and has requested I report back on those countries who voted against us,” Ms Haley said in a letter to several UN ambassadors.
“We will take note of each and every vote on this issue.”
On Twitter, Ms Haley said that “the US will be taking names” during the vote today.
Yesterday, King Salman of Saudi Arabia and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas met in Riyadh where King Salman reiterated his country’s position on Jerusalem’s status and the Palestinians’ right for an independent state with East Jerusalem as their capital, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Roman Catholic Church’s top official in Jerusalem criticised Mr Trump’s reversal of decades-long US policy, saying it damaged Christmas celebrations.
Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, apostolic administrator of the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, yesterday said many groups had cancelled visits.
He said that the heads of the Christian churches in Jerusalem would find it difficult to accept an official request by the US vice president, Mike Pence, to visit the city’s holy Christian sites in January, calling for him to “listen more” to other Christians.
“Of course this created a tension around Jerusalem and this diverted attention from Christmas,” Archbishop Pizzaballa said.
In a move of support for the Palestinian people, Indonesia said yesterday it would allow tariff-free imports and give direct market access to some Palestinian goods.
Currently, Palestinian goods come to Indonesia through Jordan, but Indonesia’s trade minister, Enggartiasto Lukita, said some goods will from January 1 be shipped directly to his country. He said Indonesia had stated its support for the Palestinians to become a member of the World Trade Organisation.
“We’re opening market access for dates and olive oil,” he said. “We’re also asking them for a list of products they want to export and they need to import.”
Mevlut Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, will travel to New York with his Palestinian counterpart, Riyad Al Maliki, for today’s UN meeting.
“We want America to turn back from this wrong and unacceptable decision,” Mr Cavusoglu said yesterday. “God willing, we will push through the General Assembly a resolution in favour of Palestine and Jerusalem.
“From now on we will be more active in defending the rights of Palestinians.”
Mr Cavusoglu will meet Mr Al Maliki in Istanbul, from where they will head to the US.