(Ha'aretz) Noa Landau - The UN General Assembly is set to meet on Thursday for an emergency discussion on the unilateral American recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. An Egyptian draft resolution against the recognition is expected to be approved. Although the vote is mainly symbolic, Israel's ambassadors worldwide have been directed to urge countries to oppose the resolution. Ambassadors were told by the Foreign Ministry to emphasize that Jerusalem was the de facto capital of Israel long before the U.S. recognized it as such; a resolution of this kind at the UN will damage American efforts toward a peace agreement; the resolution will spur terror and violence in the area; and unilateral steps in the UN do more harm than good. The envoys will also pledge to maintain freedom of religion and the status quo in the city. Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told Ha'aretz, "We have no doubt that the resolution will pass. However, the resolution holds no implications, and we call upon Palestinians to stop the incitement and return to the negotiating table."
2017-12-20 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive