UN vote on Jerusalem, political show: Analyst

The UN General Assembly is to hold an emergency session on Thursday to discuss US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem al-Quds as Israel’s capital, which has enraged the Muslim world and triggered criticism from other nations, including Washington’s allies. The emergency meeting comes after the United States on Monday vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution calling on Washington to withdraw its declaration. Press TV has talked to Catherine Shakdam, director of Shafaqna Institute for Middle Eastern Studies, as well as Maxine Dovere, journalist and political commentator, to discuss this issue.  

Shakdam believes the UN General Assembly’s vote against Washington’s Jerusalem move is a “political show”, adding that it is not going to change anything on the ground for the Palestinians because it is non-binding.

“Whatever the United Nations will do, whatever countries will do during the UN assembly, it is nice, it is very cute and it is a show of solidarity and it goes to prove that the world is not really in compliance with Donald Trump wishes but it does not mean anything for the Palestinians,” she said.

The analyst also called Trump’s decision a “despicable act”, noting that the issue of Jerusalem has been used in a way to completely deny the sovereignty of Palestine.

PressTV-US threatens critics before UN vote on Quds resolution

Ahead of a General Assembly session on Jerusalem al-Quds, the US and Israel resort to pressure tactics and lobbying efforts to block a resolution critical of their policies.

Shakdam further stated Jerusalem should “remain neutral” as long as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is unresolved given the fact that it is a controversial issue.

Jerusalem al-Quds remains at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Palestinians hoping that the eastern part of the city would eventually serve as the capital of a future independent Palestinian state.

The analyst further opined that the Palestinians should continue their resistance, emphasizing that the global reaction shows that something is “very wrong” with Trump’s decision on Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, Maxine Dovere, the other panelist on the program, opined that the time has come for the Palestinians and the Israelis to sit together and find a solution while recognizing each other’s rights and abiding by them.

However, Shakdam disagreed with Dovere, arguing that no compromise can be reached unless Israel’s crime of stealing Palestinian land which happened decades ago is recognized.

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