Kuwait asks US to restore impartiality – A regrettable, unhelpful step

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CAIRO, Dec 10, (Agencies): Kuwaiti First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al- Sabah deplored on Saturday the US decision to recognize Jerusalem as capital of Israel and move its embassy to the holy city.

In his address to the emergency meeting of the Arab League Ministerial Council, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, who leads Kuwaiti delegation to the meeting, called on the United States to back down on the recent “regrettable and unhelpful step,” and restore its role as impartial mediator and sponsor in the Middle East peace process.

A year back, the Middle East was remarkably upbeat with the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 2334 on Dec 23, 2016, and an international consensus on prioritization of the peace process, he recalled.

In early 2017, the ministerial Middle East Peace Conference, hosted by Paris, reaffirmed support for a just, lasting and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “Optimism grew further last May when the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted the GCC-US Summit with both sides agreeing to work together for advancing the peace process,” Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled noted.

“However, this process degenerated remarkably due to the recent deplorable unilateral move by the US which contravenes all UN resolutions relating to the legal, political and historical status quo of Jerusalem,” he said, citing the UNSC Resolutions 242, 267, 465, 476, 478 and 2334.

“The discussions at the last night session of the UNSC signal profound concern of the international community over the unhelpful move of the US,” he pointed out. “While calling on the US to back down on its decision and resume its role as impartial mediator and sponsor of the peace process, we call on the Arab states to adopt a single stance against the US move. “We call for activation of the resolution of the 28th Arab summit, hosted by Jordan in last March, on the protection of the legal, political and historical status quo in Jerusalem,” he stressed.

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled reaffirmed Kuwait’s support to “the brothers in Palestine,” and commitment to all resolutions and measures to be adopted by today’s extraordinary ministerial meeting. He thanked Palestine and the Kingdom of Jordan for calling this meeting and the foreign ministers of the Arab League member countries for their prompt response. Arab foreign ministers on Sunday demanded that the United States rescind President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, calling it a “grave” development that puts Washington on the same side as “occupation” and the violation of international law.

In a resolution long on rhetoric but short on concrete actions, the ministers also called for the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution condemning Trump’s decision, but acknowledged that Washington would most likely veto it. If the US vetoes the resolution, the Arabs would seek a similar resolution in the UN General Assembly, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki told a pre-dawn news conference in Cairo.

A two-page resolution adopted by the emergency meeting, which began Saturday night, did not include any punitive actions against the United States, like a call for a boycott of American products or suspending or downgrading ties with Washington. It also appeared to fall short of matching the anger felt by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank, which have seen three days of violent protests against Trump’s decision.

“We have taken a political decision not meant to reflect (what is going on in) the streets. Political work is responsible work,” said Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit. “Jerusalem has been occupied for 50 years. This is an extended battle, a battle that will be escalated,” he told the news conference. The resolution said the ministers would meet again within a month and held out the possibility that an emergency Arab summit would be held in Jordan to discuss Jerusalem.

Trump’s Dec 6 announcement on Jerusalem, and his intention to move the US Embassy there, triggered denunciations from around the world, with even close allies suggesting he had needlessly stirred more conflict in an already volatile region.

Jerusalem’s status lies at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Trump’s move was widely perceived as siding with Israel. Even small crises over Jerusalem’s status and that of the holy sites in its ancient Old City have sparked deadly bloodshed in the past. Arab diplomats said some Arab League members had wanted a more hard-line resolution, including punitive measures against countries that follow the US example and recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

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