General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Israeli soldiers did not "slaughter unarmed children" [View all]Sophia4
(3,515 posts)and violence. It is wrong to move the embassy at this time.
And I fully support the existence of Israel. That is not the issue here.
The General Assembly voted overwhelmingly during a rare emergency meeting today to ask nations not to establish diplomatic missions in the historic city of Jerusalem, as delegates warned that the recent decision by the United States to do so risked igniting a religious war across the already turbulent Middle East and even beyond.
By a recorded vote of 128 in favour to 9 against (Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Togo, United States), with 35 abstentions, the Assembly adopted the resolution Status of Jerusalem, by which it declared null and void any actions intended to alter Jerusalems character, status or demographic composition. Calling on all States to refrain from establishing embassies in the Holy City, it also demanded that they comply with all relevant Security Council resolutions and work to reverse the negative trends imperilling a two‑State resolution of the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict.
We meet today not because of any animosity to the United States of America, insisted Riad Al‑Malki, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the State of Palestine. Instead, the emergency session had been called to make the voice of the vast majority of the international community and that of people around the world heard on the question of Jerusalem/Al‑Quds Al‑Sharif. He described the 6 December decision by the United States to recognize the city as Israels capital, and to move its embassy there, as an aggressive and dangerous move, cautioning that it could inflame tensions and lead to a religious war that has no boundaries.
He went on to state that the decision would have no impact on the Holy Citys status, but it nevertheless compromised the role of the United States in the peace process. Moreover, it did nothing but serve the forces of extremism around the world, he said, pointing out that even the closest allies of the United States could not turn a blind eye to its actions. The Assembly was meeting in the wake of the Security Councils failure to adopt a similar draft resolution, even as 14 of its 15 members had voted in its favour. The veto will not stop us, he declared in that regard, underlining that Al‑Quds will not fall to any siege, monopolization or domination
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https://www.un.org/press/en/2017/ga11995.doc.htm
I am very aware of the need for the State of Israel as a sanctuary for Jewish people who were discriminated against and killed over many centuries in their diaspora. I have visited a WWII concentration camp, and although I am not personally Jewish, I am aware of the many, many homeless survivors including orphan children after WWII and the many, many Jewish people who left Europe after WWII to settle in countries around the world, not just Israel.
But, it is inflammatory and self-righteous for the US to decide to move our embassy to Jerusalem which is a city of spiritual and historical importance not just to the Jewish people but to the Muslims also. Moving our embassy is just intended to cause conflict. It's simply another stupidly cruel Trump move. And Trump owes the world an explanation.