A senior United Nations (UN) political affairs official Tuesday evening voiced concerns over recent developments that “undermine efforts to end the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict including Israel’s move to amend a law to cement its control over East Jerusalem.”
“Jerusalem is a final status issue that must be resolved through negotiations between the parties” Assistant-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenèa told the Security Council during his briefing on the situation in the Middle East.
He said that if approved the proposed amendment to the “Basic Law: Jerusalem the Capital of Israel” would further cement Israeli control over occupied East Jerusalem and would limit the ability of both sides to reach a negotiated solution that is in line with UN resolutions and prior agreements.
“Any move which could impact demographics in the city is extremely worrisome and could spark violence” he said.
Earlier last month Israeli Knesset backed a bill that aims to make it more difficult to give up sections of occupied Jerusalem in a future peace deal.
The basic law was requiring the consent of at least 61 MKs a majority in the 120-member Knesset for handing over sovereign control of any part of Jerusalem to Palestinians.
However the bill would raise that to an 80-MK minimum or fully two-thirds of the Knesset a threshold that likely makes it all but impossible for a future Israeli government to obtain the Knesset’s approval for withdrawing from occupied Jerusalem.
