Arab League leads condemnation of Honduras opening embassy in Jerusalem

AMMAN: The Arab League on Thursday condemned the opening of Honduras’ embassy in the occupied city of Jerusalem, calling it a grave violation of international law and relevant international legitimacy resolutions.
The Arab League said that the “existing legal and historical status of the city of Jerusalem, including UN Security Council resolutions No. 476 and 478 of 1980, confirm that East Jerusalem is an occupied Arab Palestinian territory, and it is prohibited to transfer any embassies to the occupation government.”
The Arab League’s Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and the Occupied Arab Territories Affairs, Saeed Abu Ali, said in a statement that the opening of the embassy in occupied Jerusalem is considered a blatant attack on the rights, land and sanctities of the Palestinian people, warning of its repercussions and setbacks on Arab relations with Honduras.
Honduras transferred its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on Thursday as part of efforts to boost ties with the Jewish state, becoming the fourth country to do so.
The central American nation had already opened a commercial office in Jerusalem, breaking a decades-long policy of neutrality in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The country also has the second largest Palestinian community in Latin America, after Chile.
The Arab Parliament also condemned the move, saying it had no legal effect and will not change the legal and historical status of Jerusalem, which it said is one of the issues to be determined through negotiations between the concerned parties, and not by unilateral decisions that violate the resolutions of international legitimacy and international consensus.
The Arab Parliament called on the Honduran government and parliament to reverse this step and adhere to the state of international consensus regarding the occupied city of Jerusalem.
The Palestinians claim Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, and most countries have kept their embassies in Tel Aviv.
The Palestinians’ foreign ministry, in a statement carried by the official WAFA news agency, condemned the Honduras embassy move “in the strongest terms.”
It said: “It is particularly unfortunate that the President of Honduras has decided to be on the wrong side of history.”
The status of Jerusalem remains one of the biggest flash-points in the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Jordan also confirmed its rejection of the move and said any measures aimed at changing the status of the city are null and illegal.
Foreign ministry spokesman Daifallah Al-Fayez said the only way to achieve a just and comprehensive peace is through a two-state solution that embodies the independent and sovereign Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with occupied Jerusalem as its capital, based on international law and resolutions of international legitimacy.
Amman also condemned Israeli authorities decision to approve the construction of new housing units in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Al-Fayez rejected the decision and said it constitutes a violation of international law and Security Council resolutions.
He added that Israeli settlement policy in the occupied Palestinian territories, whether building or expanding settlements, confiscating land or displacing Palestinians, is illegal and undermines efforts to calm tensions and achieve a comprehensive and just peace, and the chances of a two-state solution.
(With AFP)