Egypt’s ambassador to Indonesia, Ahmed Amr Ahmed Manned, said on Wednesday (20/12) the United States should not have been allowed to vote on the United Nations Security Council resolution on Jerusalem.
“The United States, as a subject of the discussion, should not have had voting privileges. This is a violation of a long-held tradition at the United Nations,” Manned said during a media briefing in Jakarta.
Egypt drafted a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for the withdrawal of US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move its embassy there.
For a resolution to pass at the council, it needs nine votes in favor and zero vetoes from its permanent members – the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China.
The United States vetoed the resolution on Monday, while the remaining 14 members of the council voted in favor.
The UN General Assembly is set to hold an emergency session on Thursday at the request of Arab and Muslim states.
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Indonesia, Osama bin Mohammed Abdullah Al Shuaibi, hosted a media briefing with twelve other ambassadors of Arab countries in Jakarta, including Palestine, Tunisia, Iraq, and Algeria, as a show of unity for Palestine.
“All Arab countries agree that Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine… and Palestine has a right to gain independence from Israel’s occupation,” Al Shuaibi said.
During the occasion, Jordan’s ambassador to Indonesia, Walid Al Hadid, said that matters concerning Jerusalem – known as Al-Quds in the Arab world – is regarded by the Jordanian government as an internal issue.
Jordan is the custodian of Jerusalem’s holy sites.
“Whatever happens in Al-Quds is an inseparable, internal issue for Jordan,” Al Hadid said.
Both Manned and Al Shuaibi also said the Palestinian issue is not an Arab or Muslim issue, and that the focus of any discussion or negotiation should be on Israel’s illegal occupation of the territory.
Hadid has already raised the same concern in previous occasions, saying that Jerusalem is an issue for all human beings and that it is not a religious issue.
