Archives for 07 December 2017

Statement of H.E. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine, regarding President Trump’s announcement on Jerusalem, 6 December 2017

RAMALLAH, December 6, 2017 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas said on Wednesday that with US President Donald Trump declaring that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, he has chosen to disregard all international resolutions and bilateral agreements, preferring to ignore and contradict the international consensus expressed by many countries and leaders of the world, its spiritual leaders and regional organizations over the past few days on the issue of Jerusalem.

He said in a speech in response to Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, “These measures are a reward to Israel’s violations of international resolutions and an encouragement for Israel to continue its policy of occupation, settlements, apartheid and ethnic cleansing.”

Abbas added, “These measures also serve extremist groups attempting to turn the conflict in our region into a religious war that is dragging the region, which is living critical situations in the midst of international conflicts and endless wars. This is what we have always warned of and we have rejected and fought.”

He said, “These measures, which are denounced and rejected, are a deliberate undermining of all efforts to achieve peace, and is a declaration of the withdrawal of the United States from playing the role which it has played over the past decades as a peace broker.” [Read more…]

6 December 2017 – Press Release: Identical letters regarding US actions on Jerusalem

صحفي

 متابعة للتطورات الخطيرة وتداعيات إعلان الرئيس الأمريكي القدس عاصمة لإسرائيل وتوقيعه على نقل سفارة الولايات المتحدة إلى القدس، ولاحقا لرسالة سيادة الرئيس محمود عباس الاستباقية بتاريخ 3 ديسمبر الحالي، بعثت السفير فداء عبدالهادي ناصر القائم بالأعمال بالإنابة للبعثة المراقبة الدائمة لدولة فلسطين لدى الأمم المتحدة في نيويورك، بالأمس برسائل متطابقة إلى رئيس مجلس الأمن لهذا الشهر (اليابان). كذلك بعثت بنسختين من هذه الرسالة لكل من الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة، ورئيس الجمعية العامة.

 في ضوء القرار المؤسف للغاية الذي أعلنه الرئيس الأمريكي، في مخالفة لقرارات مجلس الأمن والاجماع الدولي طويل الأمد، دعت فيها مجلس الأمن إلى معالجة هذه المسألة الحرجة دون تأخير والعمل بسرعة على الوفاء بمسؤولياته.  وطالبت المجتمع الدولي بضرورة إعادة التأكيد على موقفه الواضح والقانوني بشأن القدس وعلى رفضه جميع الانتهاكات التي تمس بهذا المركز القانوني من أي كان ومتى كان وحثته على المطالبة بإلغاء القرار الأمريكي.

وأشارت إلى قرارات المجلس العديدة المتعلقة بالقدس، بما في ذلك القرارين 476  و 478 في العام 1980، حيث أكدت على عدم جواز اكتساب الاراضي بالقوة وإعترافها بالوضع الخاص للقدس والحاجة الى حماية الاماكن المقدسة في المدينة وتصميمها الواضح على ان جميع [Read more…]

6 December 2017 – US Actions on Jerusalem – PSC

Excellency,

I write to you with urgency, in follow-up of the letter conveyed to Your Excellency, on 3 December 2017, from H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, appealing for efforts to avert a decision by the current administration of the United States of America recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in contravention of Security Council resolutions and the longstanding international consensus in this regard.

In light of the extremely regrettable decision announced today by the American President, we call on the Security Council to address this critical matter without delay and to act swiftly to uphold its responsibilities and the integrity and authority of its resolutions.

The international community must reaffirm its clear, legal position on the status of Jerusalem, affirm its rejection of all violations of that status by whomever and whenever, and demand that this decision be rescinded. The Security Council’s relevant resolutions remain valid and must be implemented.

We recall the Council’s numerous resolutions regarding Jerusalem, including, inter alia, resolutions 476 (1980) and 478 (1980). We recall, in particular, the Council’s reaffirmations regarding the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force; its recognition of the specific status of Jerusalem and the need for protection of the Holy Sites in the City; and its clear determination that “all legislative and administrative measures and actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, which purport to alter the character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War”. [Read more…]