19 Arab, Islamic countries condemn colombia’s embassy opening in occupied Jerusalem — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): Foreign ministers of 19 Arab and Islamic countries have condemned Colombia’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem, urging the government to reconsider and reverse the move. Colombia opened its embassy in Jerusalem on Wednesday, 14 October, at a ceremony attended by Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio Mapy and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. In a joint statement issued on 16 October, Türkiye’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the move violated relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and undermined international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on the two-state solution. The statement said any action or decision aimed at changing the legal or historical status of occupied Jerusalem, or recognising it as Israel’s capital, was null and void and had no legal effect. The foreign ministers cited UN Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478, adopted in 1980, which reject changes to Jerusalem’s status and character and call on countries to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city. The statement urged Colombia to reverse its decision, honour its international obligations and refrain from actions that could undermine the rights of the Palestinian people. The ministers also reaffirmed their support for the Palestinian people’s right to an independent and sovereign state, with East Jerusalem as its capital. The countries that signed the statement are Türkiye, Algeria,…