Egypt prepares UN resolution against US decision on Jerusalem

Cairo, Dec 18 (IANS) Egypt's Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal said on Sunday that Egypt is preparing a UN resolution against the US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Speaking during a parliament session, Abdel-Aal said Egypt has begun contacting all Arab leaders and a number of foreign officials for the resolution. Xinhua news agency reported.

Abdel-Aal stressed that Jerusalem will remain an Arab city, reiterating Egypt's rejection of the US decision to recognise the holy city as Israel's capital and move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

All Egyptian parliament members appeared at the session wearing a sash with "Jerusalem is Arab" written on it.

Abdel-Aal added that Egypt's representative to the United Nations Security Council had called for holding an emergency session to get the US administration to withdraw its decision.

Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and decided to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed city.

Trump's declaration sparked widespread criticism and opposition from Arab and Muslim countries.

Jerusalem lies at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

While Israel took over East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war and declared the whole city as its eternal indivisible capital in 1980, it has not been recognised by the international community.

The Palestinians insist that they should establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital in the final settlement.

Under the previous Israeli-Palestinian peace accord, the status of Jerusalem should be determined through the final-status talks between Israel and the Palestinians.