Egypt denounces recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital

CAIRO – 6 December 2017: Egypt expressed on Wednesday its denouncement regarding the United States’ decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the U.S. embassy there, an Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement read on Wednesday.

The ministry assured that such a unilateral decision is a violation of the international legislation resolutions, adding that this would not change the legal posture of Jerusalem, which is already under occupation.

The statement mentioned several international legislative resolutions on Jerusalem, topped by:
• The U.N. Security Council resolution No. 242 in 1967 regarding the withdrawal from the lands occupied in 1967, including Jerusalem.

• The U.N. Security Council resolution No. 478 in 1980, which rejected the Israeli government’s decision on considering Jerusalem as an eternal capital of Israel.

• The U.N. Security Council resolution No. 2334 in 2016, as it reaffirmed that Israel’s establishment of settlements on Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, had no legal validity, constituting a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the vision of two states living side-by-side in peace and security within internationally recognized borders.

The ministry expressed Egypt’s extreme concern regarding the potential fallouts of this decision, especially on the stability of the region, as such a decision can provoke Arabs and Muslims because of the major spiritual, cultural and historic position of the holy city of Jerusalem.

The ministry warned against risks of the decision’s impact on the future of the peace process, especially on the exerted efforts for resuming negotiations between Palestine and Israel, aiming at achieving justice and comprehensive peace, as well as establishing an independent Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.