The Palestinian Authority (PA) delegation to the United Nations on Thursday lodged a complaint at the Security Council against the United States, in response to President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Haaretz reported.
The delegation requested that the Security Council declare Trump's decision to be against international law and to work toward reversing it.
The Security Council will convene on Friday to discuss Trump’s move following a request by eight countries on the 15-member body.
The request for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to publicly brief the Security Council was made by France, Bolivia, Egypt, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, Britain and Uruguay, diplomats said, according to Haaretz.
Russia will criticize Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel at the meeting, the RIA news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov as saying on Thursday.
Guterres told reporters, “I have consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians.”
“In this moment of great anxiety, I want to make it clear: There is no alternative to the two-state solution. There is no Plan B,” he said. “I will do everything in my power to support the Israeli and Palestinian leaders to return to meaningful negotiations,” he added.
The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, praised Trump’s decision as “the just and right thing to do.”
The move was blasted by British Prime Minister Theresa May, who said the UK disagreed with the recognition of Jerusalem and said the move was unhelpful to the prospects of regional peace.
The secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Saeb Erekat blasted Trump's decision, saying it destroys any hopes for a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
On Thursday, PA officials said that PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas will not meet with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence when he visits the region later this month.