Egypt condemns US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

Cairo, Dec 7 (IANS) Egypt condemned the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Egypt's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Egypt rejects this move as well as the relocation of the US embassy to Jerusalem, Xinhua quoted the statement as saying.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced that the the country formally recognises Jerusalem as Israel's capital, while ordering to immediately begin the process of relocating the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Egypt reiterated that such unilateral decisions violate the international legitimacy, adding such decisions will not change the legal status of Jerusalem as an occupied city.

Egypt also referred to many Jerusalem-related resolutions taken by the international legitimacy, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 of 1967, which demands Israeli withdrawal from the territories occupied in 1967, including Jerusalem.

There is also the UNSC Resolution 478 of 1980 that rejected Israel's attempted annexation of Jerusalem as well as its declaring the city as Israel's capital, the statement said.

The statement said that Egypt is extremely concerned over the possible consequences of this decision on the stability of the region, warning that it will stir the feelings of the Arab and Islamic peoples for the historical, spiritual and cultural status of Jerusalem.

The decision will also have negative impacts on the future of the peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis, as Jerusalem is one of its major issues, according to the statement.