Jerusalem Not a Religious Issue, Time for UN to Interfere: Jordanian Ambassador
Jakarta. Prolonged dispute on the ownership of Jerusalem, which has been mounting following a unilateral claim made by the United States that the holy city is the capital of Israel, is not a religious issue, the Jordanian ambassador to Indonesia said on Friday (15/12).
Jordan urges the international community to keep supporting Palestine in the current crisis, ambassador Walid Al Hadid said.
"Jerusalem is an issue for all human beings, for Arabs, Muslims, Christians. It is the most sacred city in the world; everybody has a stake there. What affects Jerusalem, affects all of us," Al Hadid said in the "The Future of Palestine, the Road to Unity, Independence and Peace" seminar in Jakarta.
US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement on Dec. 6 to formally recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate the US embassy in Tel Aviv to the contested Holy City effectively reversed nearly seven decades of American foreign policy.
Reuters reported that Jordan’s King Abdullah warned the United States in an official statement that its move would have "dangerous repercussions for the stability and security of the region."
Jordan is a country where many people are descendants of Palestinians refugees whose families left after the creation of Israel in 1948. It is also the custodian of the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem.
Al Hadid also called on the United Nations to mediate discussions between the Palestinians and the Israelis as the Jerusalem conflict can only be resolved diplomatically.
"If President Trump still insists on recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, then the only way to resolve [the conflict] is to let the UN make the decision," Al Hadid said.
The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on a draft resolution calling for the US to withdraw its decision on Monday. But it is likely that the draft will be vetoed by the United States.
To pass, a UNSC resolution needs nine votes in favor and zero vetoes from its permanent members – the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China.
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