- ARAB NEWS
- 27 Apr 2024
Since 1975
LONDON: Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has condemned plans by Argentina to relocate the nation’s embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
He said the move would violate international law and jeopardize the chances of achieving peace based on a two-state solution.
The proposed move was announced by Argentine President Javier Milei on Tuesday during an official visit to Israel.
Jamal Rushdi, a spokesperson for Aboul Gheit, said UN Security Council Resolution 478, adopted in 1980, explicitly deems all Israeli actions in Jerusalem to be invalid, necessitating their annulment. The resolution also urges other nations to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions in the city.
He added that the global consensus rejects recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem, and said the city’s status should only be determined through negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis. Preemptive attempts to alter its status, or its legal and political standing, serve to undermine future negotiations and their outcomes, Rushdi said.
Expressing his disapproval of the announcement by the Argentine president, Aboul Gheit said it marked a significant departure from the Latin American country’s traditionally balanced stance on the Palestinian issue.
This shift, he added, seems to align with the agenda of right-wing Israelis and is in contrast to the collective stance of other countries from the Global South that champion Palestinian rights and the principles of international law.
Aboul Gheit said there are deep concerns among Arab states about decisions that could further complicate the already tense situation in the Middle East, particularly in relation to the status of Jerusalem.
He added that the international community must maintain a delicate balance in support of efforts to achieve a viable, peaceful resolution to the conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis.
