Hamas has condemned in the strongest terms Washington’s vetoing of a UN Security Council’s resolution aimed at voiding U.S. President Donald Trump’s move to recognize Jerusalem (al-Quds) as Israel’s capital.
Hamas said in a Monday statement that Washington’s vetoing of the resolution proves once again that any attempt to bet on its role as a peace broker is just a waste of time.
“Hamas Movement believes that today’s UN Security Council session has been an occasion to confirm Palestinians’ commitment to Jerusalem and rehabilitate international resolutions which have long been overthrown by Israel” it said.
“Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the State of Palestine. No U.S. or Israeli decision shall change such a deep-rooted fact” said Hamas. “To millions of Arabs and Muslims Jerusalem and its holy sites are a red line.”
The group vowed to make every possible effort in response to such oppressive and biased decisions.
Hamas held the U.S. administration responsible for the repercussions of the move both in the occupied Palestinian territories and MENA region.
“The U.S. is adding fuel to fire” said Hamas calling on the international community to urgently step in so as to defend Occupied Jerusalem against malevolent agendas aiming to alter the city’s demographic and religious character.
“Israel will pay the price for its crimes against our people and holy sites” the resistance movement added.
Hamas also urged the Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to take advantage of the present situation to throw out the notorious Oslo Accords which it said have been the main reason why the Palestinians are undergoing tragic conditions.
It also called on the PA to halt peace negotiations once and for all cease security cooperation with Israel and restructure home affairs in favor of national unity.
On Monday the United States blocked a Security Council resolution at the United Nations that would have rejected President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s vote marked the Trump administration’s first Security Council veto. All 14 other members supported the resolution underscoring the U.S. isolation on the issue.
Haley claimed she cast the veto “in defense of American sovereignty and in defense of America’s role in the Middle East peace process.”
The draft of the resolution called for by Egypt did not name the United States or Trump. It expressed “deep regret at certain decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem” and asserted that “Jerusalem is a final status issue to be resolved through negotiations.” It further declared as null and void “any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character status or demographic composition” of the city and urged countries not to establish diplomatic missions in the city.
Trump’s Dec. 6 decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and start lengthy preparations to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city has been criticized by all the Arab countries and many U.S. allies including fellow Security Council members France and Britain.
