UAE condemns Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israeli capital

The UAE has added to the worldwide condemnation of US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Trump on Wednesday reversed decades of US policy by recognising the city, which is home to sites holy to the Muslim, Jewish and Christian religions, as the Israeli capital and announcing plans to move the US embassy there from Tel Aviv.

Read: Trump recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

The decision was met with condemnation from across the world, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stating it meant the United States had abdicated its role as a mediator in peace efforts.

In a statement the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said the unilateral decision was contrary to internationally legitimate resolutions and would not change the legal status of Jerusalem as being under occupation.

The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the entire city, believing its status should be resolved in negotiations with the Palestinians.

“Such decisions are also considered to show a bias against the historical and permanent rights of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, which have been guaranteed by the relevant international resolutions and have received the recognition and support of the international community,” the ministry said.

It also expressed “deep concern about the repercussions of this decision on the stability of the region” as it “inflamed the feelings of Arab and Islamic peoples who have great esteem for Jerusalem” and said it would have a negative impact on the peace process.

Israel considers Jerusalem its capital and wants all foreign embassies to be based there.

The Palestinians want the capital of an independent state of theirs to be in the city’s eastern sector, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed.

The UAE said Trump’s decision was against United Nations Security Council resolutions and international law stating diplomatic missions should not be transferred to Jerusalem

“The UAE has warned that taking this step is a major violation of the principle of avoiding any impact or influence on the final status negotiations and that it contravenes international resolutions that affirmed the historic rights of the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, which cannot be interfered with., and that there should not be any attempt to impose a fait accompli,” it said.