UN General Assembly rejects Israel's Jerusalem schemes
Palestine-Israel-UN, Politics, 12/2/1999

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday overwhelmingly rejected Israeli policies in Jerusalem (Al-Quds) and deplored the transfer by some countries of their diplomatic missions to the holy city.

The 188-member assembly adopted a resolution supported by 139 countries, Israel cast the only negative vote, while three countries abstained --the United States, Uzbekistan and Swaziland.

U.S. ambassador Peter Burleigh said the U.S. abstention was consistent with its belief that the future of Jerusalem should be decided through permanent status negotiations.

The assembly criticized Israel's decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on Jerusalem as "illegal and therefore null and void."

It called on member states to abide by the germane resolutions on Jerusalem in conformity with the UN charter.

Since 1981, the assembly adopted some 20 resolutions on Jerusalem stating that all Israeli measures, which have changed the character and status of the city, were null and void and must be rescinded.

A resolution adopted in 1980 deplored the transfer of diplomatic missions to Jerusalem, the two central american republics of Costa-Rica and El Salvador are the only countries with diplomatic representations in Jerusalem.

Palestine's permanent observer, Nasser Al-Kidwa, recalled that the security council had repeatedly said Jerusalem as an indivisible part of the occupied territory.

"The future of the city cannot be determined by Israel taking a position and imposing it on Palestinians," Al-Kidwa said. "We cannot and will not accept it."

In another resolution, the assembly called for an end to Israel's de facto annexation of the Syrian Golan Heights.

Voting in favor were 93 delegations, Israel and the United States cast no votes while 53 delegations abstained, including all 15 members of the European Union.

The assembly also voted four texts regarding the Palestinian issue, including one that expresses full support of the ongoing peace process and stresses the necessity to abide by the land-for-peace principle.

The resolution received an overwhelming majority of 149 votes. Israel, the United States and the Marshall Islands voted against and two abstained --Uzbekistan and Micronesia.

Previous Stories:
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