Pakistan against movement of US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem

Speaking in a debate on the Middle East situation, Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi said that a just solution of Palestine dispute would not only usher in enduring peace in the Middle East, but also give a blow to the extremist organizations like Daesh (ISIS) and al-Qaeda.

“Palestine, the holy land, is the heart of the Arab and Islamic world; what happens to Palestine and its people will resonate throughout the region,” the Pakistani envoy told the 15-member Council.

Ambassador Lodhi said that for 50 years, Zionist Regime has been occupying the West Bank in defiance of the UN Charter which says territories could not be acquired through the use of force and aggression.

Establishment of a viable, independent State of Palestine, on the basis of internationally agreed parameters with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, was the only sustainable guarantee for peace, she said.

“It is clear that the movement of any state’s embassy to Jerusalem will also manifestly violate Security Council resolutions,” Ambassador Lodhi said, obviously referring to recent statements by incoming Trump administration officials that relocation of American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem was a “very big priority”.

She welcomed the recent Security Council against expansion of Zionist regime’s settlements in the occupied West Bank.

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