The Palestinian President Thursday called “victory for Palestine” the UN motion at the General Assembly, which condemned with 128 votes US President’s recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel.
The motion was brought before the GA after the US vetoed on Monday an Egypt-sponsored draft resolution condemning the US move.
President Trump, on December 6, unilaterally decided to move the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and proclaimed the old city the capital of Israel despite international treaties to leave the issue of Jerusalem to negotiations on the final status.
“This decision reaffirms once again that the just Palestinian cause enjoys the support of international law, and no decision by any party can change the reality,” Abbas’s statement said.
“We will continue our efforts in the United Nations and all international forums to end the occupation and create a Palestinian state with its capital in east Jerusalem,” the statement added.
Only nine countries voted against the motion while 35 abstained.
Israel’s Prime Minister condemned the vote ahead of the GA meeting. The Israeli leader called the UN a ‘house of lies’.
“The State of Israel rejects outright this vote, even before it passes,” he said at a ceremony in southern Israel.
“The attitude to Israel of many nations in the world, in all the continents, is changing outside of the UN walls, and will eventually filter into the UN as well – the house of lies,” he added.
Gaza-ruler Hamas also welcomed the vote as “a victory for Jerusalem, and a defeat for the stupidity of Trump”.
The vote was preceded by US threats to cut aid for countries voting against America. President Trump himself bullied countries after asking his UN envoy Nikki Haley to take down names of countries opposed to the US, but nut accept American aid.
Trump’s decision sparked protests across the Middle East and in Muslim-majority countries. The EU and even US Arab allies warned against the move, which, they said, would tilt the region into violence.
