Jerusalem should be a shared capital: British FM

CAIRO – 9 January 2018: British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said on Monday that Jerusalem has to be the capital of both Israel and Palestine, in a meeting with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki.

Johnson said in a statement issued by the British Foreign Ministry, and read by the CNN, “During our productive talks, I reiterated the UK’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian people and the two-state solution.”

In a unilateral decision, on December 6, U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital by announcing the relocation of the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The decision was condemned and rejected by all Arab and Islamic countries, as well as most Western and Asian countries.

Concerning the position of Jerusalem, Johnson said that he stressed during the talks on the clear and firm position of the UK towards the issue.

“[Jerusalem’s status] should be determined as part of settlement negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Jerusalem should ultimately be the shared capital of the Israeli and Palestinian states,” Johnson stated.

In December 2016, former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry offered six principles that he said would satisfy Israeli and Palestinian needs, among them, Jerusalem as the mutual capital of both states.