Montreal, December 6, 2017 — Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) opposes the US Trump government’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and begin the process of relocating its embassy to Jerusalem. Like many Canadians, CJPME strongly believes that the world’s governments should not recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital until Israel has reached a just peace settlement with the Palestinians.
“The status of Jerusalem is one of the most sensitive issues in the Israel-Palestine conflict, and Israel is in violation of international law on several counts vis-à-vis Jerusalem,” stated CJPME President Thomas Woodley. “Trump’s announcement is needlessly provocative and inflammatory,” Woodley added. CJPME points out that Trump’s decision breaks with decades of US policy on Israel, and will prevent the Trump administration from presenting itself as a neutral arbiter in any future negotiations. As a sign of world opinion on the matter, the UN General Assembly last week voted overwhelmingly that “any actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem are illegal and therefore null and void and have no validity whatsoever.”
CJPME points out that the Trump administration’s decision runs counter to the intent of the UN partition plan established by the international community in UN Resolution 181. Resolution 181 classified Jerusalem as an international city, but in 1967 Israel announced that it was annexing the city. The international community has never recognized Israel’s annexation of Jerusalem, so the Trump administration’s plans run counter to longstanding international consensus. Moving the US embassy to Jerusalem also confers a false legitimacy on Israel’s illegal activities in East Jerusalem and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Jerusalem is a hot spot between Israelis and Palestinians. Both peoples see Jerusalem as their capital. The issue is so contentious that a number of countries and organizations have threatened to break ties with the Israeli and American governments should the US proceed to move its embassy.
About CJPME – Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) is a non-profit and secular organization bringing together men and women of all backgrounds who labour to see justice and peace take root again in the Middle East. Its mission is to empower decision-makers to view all sides with fairness and to promote the equitable and sustainable development of the region.
For more information, please contact Miranda Gallo, 438-380-5410 Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East www.cjpme.org
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