The bloc of Arab countries at the UN has submitted a request with the General Assembly to hold an emergency meeting to adopt a resolution that overturns the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
This came after Washington vetoed a UN Security Council resolution rejecting the US move.
For his part the president of the General Assembly Miroslav Lajcak confirmed on Monday evening that he had received the request and said that the emergency session will be conducted as soon as possible.
The Palestinian envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour expected it to be held on Wednesday or Thursday and pointed out that the request was also filed on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Non-Aligned Movement.
Mansour added that the request stipulated that the session be held in accordance with the principle of “Uniting for Peace” in reference to the General Assembly resolution No. 377 which allows a chance to circumvent a Security Council veto.
The Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Monday that the Palestinians will call for an emergency meeting of the UN General Assembly after the US vetoed the Security Council resolution.
Maliki added that the member states will also demand the resolution challenged by the US to be passed.
The US on Monday vetoed a draft resolution filed by Egypt at the request of Palestinians that rejects the US president Donald Trump’s recognition of Occupied Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and his plan to move the US embassy there although the resolution won the support of 14 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council.
