All posts tagged "Eastern Jerusalem"

The commemoration of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People at the United Nations began Wednesday. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres addressed the opening meeting of the three-day commemoration. Secretary General Guterres said that the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people served to "remind us of our collective and unfinished task" to create a Palestinian State. Guterres criticized Israel for "demolitions, continued settlement construction, and evictions" and stated that eastern Jerusalem must be the capital of a Palestinian Arab state. Palestinian Authority representative to the United Nations Riyad Mansour read a statement by PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas at the meeting. Abbas noted in his statement that the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is held on the anniversary of the UN vote to partition mandatory Palestine into a Jewish and Arab state. The PA chairman called the partition vote "unfair" and stated that the decision was made "without the consent of the Palestinian people." Abbas accused Israel of "Apartheid," of refusing to live up to its commitments under the Oslo accords, and of "colonialism." According to Abbas, the PA has fought incitement and terrorism, has fulfilled all of its obligations under the Oslo accords, and has never refused negotiations. He called on the United Nations to end the "double standards" under which he said Israel was not required to abide by UN resolutions. Henry Suarez, the representative of the Non-Aligned Movement from Venezuela, also spoke at the meeting and accused Israel of attempting to "change the character" of Jerusalem and called for the international community to hold Israel accountable for its alleged "violations of international law." The International Day of Palestinian Day with the Palestinian People was created by the UN General Assembly in 1977. The commemoration will be held from November 28-30.

Oriental Times

All posts tagged "Eastern Jerusalem"

Eastern Jerusalem Must Be Capital of Palestine — United Nations