Cross-party MPs and Lords unite to condemn Donald Trump’s ‘provocative’ Jerusalem announcement

The group wrote to the Foreign Secretary calling on the UK government to lead the way for a peaceful two state solution.
Donald Trump during a visit to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem in May 2017.
AFP/Getty Images
Chloe Chaplain8 December 2017

A host of cross-party politicians and Lords have condemned Donald Trump’s “provocative” Jerusalem announcement and called on the UK Government to lead the international community in achieving a peaceful solution.

The group of 90 signed a letter to Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson expressing their concern over Trump’s decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

They called on Britain to pave the way for a two state solution to the conflict after the President’s historic announcement sparked protests in Gaza and around the world.

Labour's Richard Burden, chairman of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group who organised the letter, said: "Jerusalem is a holy city for Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, and there has long been consensus amongst the international community that the city's status can only be settled fairly through negotiations.

"President Trump's decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem is provocative, it undermines the ability of the US to credibly broker talks between Israel and Palestine and it will only fan the flames of conflict at a time when international efforts should be focused on reducing tension, upholding the rule of law and promoting peace.

"We are calling for the UK to show leadership in the pursuit and facilitation of a just and sustainable peace between Israel and Palestine with Jerusalem as a shared capital of both states.

Boris: The letter to the Foreign Secretary called on the UK to lead the way in a peace process
PA

"The UK must demonstrate in deeds as well as words that respect for international law and a commitment to equal rights for both Palestinians and Israelis must be cornerstones of a new UK pro-activity and leadership to achieve peace.

"We believe it is in the best interests of pursuing peace, for the UK to now recognise the State of Palestine."

Protesters set a poster of US President Donald Trump
EPA

Work and Pensions Secretary David Gauke also expressed concern at the highly controversial decision.

Mr Gauke told BBC Radio 4's Any Questions: "The question was 'will it help peace?', and I think the answer to that, I'm afraid, is no.

Smoke rises from small fires protesters set up to warm their selves as they keep sitting in after an anti-Trump anti-Israel march outside the US Embassy in Amman, Jordan
EPA

"I think that, as the UK has done, our embassy is in Tel Aviv, I think it should stay there, unless and until, there can be a wider agreement whereby we can have a more secure future with a viable Israel and a viable Palestinian state."

Since the announcement on Wednesday, large crowds of worshippers across the Muslim world have staged anti-U.S. marches, some stomping on posters of Donald Trump or burning American flags.

In the holy city itself, prayers at Islam's third-holiest site dispersed largely without incident, but Palestinians clashed with Israeli troops in several dozen West Bank hotspots and on the border with the Gaza Strip.

Protests erupt after Trump's Jerusalem decision

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Israeli warplanes struck Hamas military targets in the Gaza Strip Friday in response to a rocket fired from the zone that Israel's military said was intercepted by its Iron Dome missile-defense system.

The Palestinian health ministry said at least 15 people were injured in Friday's air strikes.

Earlier, a 30-year-old Gaza man was killed by Israeli gunfire, the first death of a protester since Trump's dramatic midweek announcement. Two Palestinians were seriously wounded, health officials said.

The religious and political dispute over Jerusalem forms the emotional core of the Israeli-Arab conflict. The ancient city is home to major Muslim, Jewish and Christian shrines and looms large in the competing national narratives of Israelis and Palestinians.

In an emergency UN meeting on Friday, Israel’s ambassador urged all nations to follow Trump’s lead and recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Danny Danon told an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council that "recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital is a critical and necessary step for peace."

But a joint statement by representatives to the UN from the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Sweden said: "We disagree with the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and to begin preparation to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It is not in line with Security Council resolutions and is unhelpful in terms of prospects for peace in the region.

"In line with international law and relevant Security Council resolutions ... we consider East Jerusalem as part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories."

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