The United Nations Security Council is set to meet on Monday to vote on a draft resolution that would call for the US to withdraw its decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. However, diplomats say that it may face Washington's veto.
In the report of Reuters regarding the Egyptian-drafted text, the resolution does not mention either the US or US President Donald Trump. However, it is reported that the draft has a broad support from the 15 members currently comprising the SC. Although it may not be adopted due to the veto capacity of the US, the vote would still isolate Trump on the issue.
For the draft resolution to pass, nine votes must support the draft and no vetoes would come from the five permanent member countries namely France, China, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States.
Earlier this month, Trump reversed America's decades-old policy regarding Jerusalem and stressed that he recognizes it as Israel's capital. He even noted that he will have the US embassy moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. His decision has generated immense outrage from the Palestinians and several groups.
For US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, the decision made by Trump is the "just and right thing to do."
Arabic foreign ministers agreed to seek a UN SC resolution on the issue and it also expressed "deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem."
It also "affirms that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered, the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded in compliance with relevant resolutions of the Security Council."
The resolution also calls upon all countries to refrain from sending diplomatic missions in Jerusalem and demands that "all states comply with Security Council resolutions regarding the Holy City of Jerusalem, and not to recognize any actions or measures contrary to those resolutions."
An earlier UN SC resolution had been adopted in December 2016 which "underlines that it will not recognize any changes to the 4 June 1967 lines, including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties through negotiations." The resolution was approved with 14 votes in favor for its application and an abstention from the US under former President Barack Obama.
Israel long considers the city its eternal capital and has been calling for all diplomatic embassies to be based there. However, Palestine is against this and calls for the return of Jerusalem's eastern sector to the Palestinians as it was supposed to be the independent Palestinian state. However, after Israel captured it in 1967 and annexed despite not being recognized by the rest of the international community, it was not returned to Palestine.
