Arab League hails UN resolution over Jerusalem

CAIRO – 22 December 2017: The Arab League welcomed on Friday the UN General Assembly’s resolution on Thursday which considers the U.S. decision regarding Jerusalem "null and void" and that it must be cancelled.

On behalf of the Arab League chief, the assistant secretary-general and Ambassador Said Abu Ali said that Jerusalem is a part of occupied Palestine, stressing the importance of proceeding Arab efforts within the international organization to end the occupation.

“This achievement should be developed with the contribution of most of the world’s countries to achieve the will of the international community to reach a two-state solution with the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital,” Abu Ali said.

He congratulated the Palestinian government and people and expressed his appreciation to all the countries that stood behind justice and rights.

More than 120 countries defied President Donald Trump on Thursday and voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favor. A total of 128 countries backed the resolution, which is non-binding, nine voted against and 35 abstained. Twenty-one countries did not cast a vote.